New Zealand – Null & Full https://blog.nullnfull.com Travel Off The Beaten Track Sun, 03 Dec 2017 23:15:47 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.8.23 A Hobbit’s Tale https://blog.nullnfull.com/2015/01/27/hobbit-tale/ https://blog.nullnfull.com/2015/01/27/hobbit-tale/#comments Tue, 27 Jan 2015 00:12:12 +0000 http://nullnfull.com/?p=6461 Hobbiton_Shaun_Jeffers_Photography-1

“In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.” This quote from J.R.R. Tolkien masterpiece came to my mind the moment I saw Shaun. He was sitting there in one of the cafes of North Shore of Auckland waiting for me. And I am pretty sure he was thinking about Hobbiton this very moment. Because that was the reason for our meeting. Interested in details? Where to start? How about if Shaun tells for himself what brought him to New Zealand? “In 2001 and at the age of 12, I watched The Fellowship of the Ring in the cinema… Having no clue about the LOTR books I left the cinema feeling pretty annoyed – how could an awesome film just end like that! A year later and after a bit of research the Two Towers came out and so began my new found love for film! After a final film, 3 extended editions and hours of special features later, I was obsessed! I needed to visit New Zealand – the landscape just looked incredible! My love for film continued to grow over the next few years – I wanted to be a filmmaker! I chose to study film at college then went on to study it at university. After making a few short films and in my second year of uni I found myself losing interest in filmmaking, studying it was destroying my passion! The same year I bought a little SLR and began experimenting with photography. During the last year of university our final film project had to be documented in photos and I quickly became the go-to guy for the on set photography. After shooting a few other uni events, I had found my calling. I ended up working with a kiwi photographer in Liverpool who helped develop my photographic skills. Last year 12 years after the first Lord of the Rings was released I finally managed to get to NZ. Now, being a photographer, I can share images that hopefully inspire other people to visit this beautiful country. I can’t wait to spend a few more years here!” After Shaun came to New Zealand he was taking pictures in many The Lord of the Rings locations, including Hobbiton. When he visited the Hobbiton Movie Site he shared his pictures with them and it happened that they really liked it. Eventually, after working for them for a while he became the official photographer of the Hobbiton. How cool is that? Through his excellent skills and interest in Tolkien books and Peter Jackson movies, his pictures taken in Hobbiton became iconic. You probably saw them more than once and I’m pretty sure watching them made you thinking How on earth there is a place like this? We were sitting in this cafe, talking about books, pictures, New Zealand, migration, bare feet, wines, Waiheke, well pretty much about everything what comes to mind in a warm summer afternoon. Shaun is a delightful person. It is rare to combine excellent skills and great passion just like he does. You can see it in his eyes when he is explaining the way he photographed Milky Way standing in front of his camera in a cold dark night in the middle of nowhere. I mean, what else would draw him there? So no he is living in New Zealand immersing himself in Kiwi chill out. Wonderful weather and breathtaking views make the South Island his favorite place on earth. So far. For me, this was not only a real pleasure to spend my day with him but also a great privilege to discuss the issues related to photography, Hobbit, New Zealand and traveling with a person like Shaun. I hope his pictures not only make you happy when you look at them but will also bring him satisfaction and fulfilment.  About Shaun Shaun Jeffers is currently Auckland based photographer specialising in event, commercial and landscape photography. Originally from Liverpool, at the age of 25 Shaun has worked with some of the biggest companies in the UK and in New Zealand. If you don’t follow his Instagram account and like beautiful pictures you should start following him today! Find out more about Shaun and his photography here: Official site – Facebook – Instagram – Twitter Disclosure: all pictures courtesy of Shaun Jeffers.  

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Always wanted to be a travel writer? https://blog.nullnfull.com/2015/01/13/travel-writer/ https://blog.nullnfull.com/2015/01/13/travel-writer/#comments Tue, 13 Jan 2015 22:44:42 +0000 http://nullnfull.com/?p=6469 New Zealand landscape

New Zealand is full of beautiful sites and interesting people. Just recently I met Shaun Jefferson, a photographer, and today I’m sharing some thoughts by Sarah Bennett. She is not only a traveler and adventurer but also runs a publishing house and collaborates with Lonely Planet. She is an expert in New Zealand best trails, bike routes and camping sites. Exclusively for you she shared some of her best kept secrets on how to become a good travel writer. Ladies and gentlemen: meet Sarah Bennett! 1. What do you find the most important characteristics of a good travel writer? I think to become a good travel writer you must first be a good traveller –curious about the world, always seeking out new places and discovering their stories, and connecting with people along the way. In fact, one of the skills I use most in my work as a travel writer is the ability to talk with strangers – both the locals and fellow travellers. That’s where you get the good oil. 2. What is your idea for collecting fascinating stories and telling them in attractive way? As a general rule, I write the stories I want to read. This means they usually focus on outdoor adventures, which have proven a rich vein for action, fun, and the occasional mishap for colour and interest. In terms of style, I like to keep things informal and humorous, within the bounds of proper grammar and other editorial principles of course! 3. How do you plan work on a guidebook or article? Guidebook writing and feature writing are very distinct genres requiring very different approaches. Guidebook writing requires an enormous amount of pre-research and on-the-road legwork, so I’ve honed sharp organisational skills that keep me on track. It’s very intense. Feature writing, on the other hand, is more organic. I generally start with an adventure, which invariably morphs into a yarn as it unfolds. There’s always a story somewhere – sometimes it lands in your lap; at other times you need to tease it out. 4. How long did you work on your writing skills and on the general workshop? What was most helpful in mastering them? My skills have evolved slowly and organically over 20 years or so. I believe the key to becoming a better writer is to read more and write more. The trick is squeezing that in between living, the doing, the being. I treasure my career, but it’s only part of my life’s work. 5. Year after year New Zealand in general and Auckland in particular are among top 10 best places to live. Would you agree with it? And if so, what is so special about it? I’m never surprised to see New Zealand feature on a list of top places – to live, work, or travel. New Zealand’s isolation, short human history, fascinating geology and unique plant and animal life make truly unique, and it’s so easy to get out and appreciate it. And I think in this crazy era we live in, the natural world is a powerful force in refocusing our sights on what really matters. So that’s it, in a nutshell – it’s New Zealand’s natural world. It’s special. It’s magic. 6. What is the best and the worst about Kiwis? Is it the way they drive? The best thing about New Zealanders is their kindness and consideration for others. When it comes to the matter of driving, we do face some challenges. Our roads are often narrow, winding, and lack significant hard shoulder. They’re a trap for both local and visitor alike, and sadly, the faster they go, the bigger the mess. 7. How do you travel around New Zealand? Lee and I travel in a home-converted Hiace campervan, with our bicycles on the back. We’re also regular travellers on Air New Zealand – which is pretty fab for a national airline – and the interisland ferry, my favourite journey of all. 8. Describe your perfect weekend in New Zealand. My perfect weekend in New Zealand would see Lee and me parked up in our little campervan in a holiday park or conservation campground. We would bike one day and hike the next, in between enjoying local food and drink – preferably fresh fish and chips washed down with craft beer. The days would be warm, and the skies clear at night for stargazing. There would definitely be swimming, in a pristine lake or limpid river pool, if not at the beach. About Sarah Bennett is a travel writer, editor and publisher. Together with Lee Slater they run a publishing house. They are based in Wellington, New Zealand. There is no better place to discover more about New Zealand than through eyes of the locals. Visit their website and see how many useful books are there! Click www.bennettandslater.co.nz You can find them on Instragram and follow them on Twitter.  

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Waiheke Island: wine, food and bike https://blog.nullnfull.com/2015/01/08/waiheke/ https://blog.nullnfull.com/2015/01/08/waiheke/#respond Thu, 08 Jan 2015 05:08:06 +0000 http://nullnfull.com/?p=6408

This was a delightful day! Although in the evening I was very tired I had a great time. It is the middle of the summer here, in New Zealand so last Saturday I went to Waiheke. This is a popular recreational destination, not only for tourists but most of all to Aucklanders. It is easily reached by a ferry from downtown Auckland. A ride lasts about 35 minutes and a ferry goes every hour. Bike Not always, popular places are beautiful. It often happens I am disappointed with top touristic sites. But this was not the case of Waiheke. Although there was a crowd on the ferry the island is large enough to accommodate all visitors. First, I went by bike, which was a challenge itself. I’m not a great bike rider as you probably remember from my previous post on Aran Islands, but I enjoy recreational riding just like I did in Athens. Anyway, this was a different story because Auckland is very hilly city and Waiheke Island too. The great thing about this trip was that I could take my bike to a ferry for free. I was wondering why more people do not do this. After all I checked the price for bike rental on the island and 50 NZD daily rate seemed to me very expensive. But soon enough I knew why people rarely take bikes with them. Making the long story short: Waiheke Island is very hilly. I was not prepared for this! The first part of the trip – from Kingsland where I live in Auckland to harbour – was downhill but the moment I started my ride on Waiheke I thought I should get back home at once! First kilometer was uphill and I felt like my legs and lungs were burning. And it was no better further: up and down for next 9 km! Only because I was really determined I eventually reached my destination: a winery and restaurant “Wild on Waiheke”. Wine Waiheke is called the island of wine. There are as many as 25 wineries on this island and most of them offer wine tasting, restaurant, garden and a place to have your party in. I tasted few wines in ‘Wild on Waiheke’ and I can tell you this: if only for wine this trip would not worthy my effort. Now, I know this might be due to my previous experiences in Italy and my particular taste shaped by Italian wines (not luxury nor expensive but still). And I really understand people who go to Waiheke to taste wines. I do! After all, this wine was better than the one I had in Paris (shame on you!). What is really great about Waiheke and wine tasting is that you can have a very small glass with your meal for just 2 NZD. It allowed me to taste as many as 4 different ones and I did not have to spit! The more friendly version of professional wine tasting. Just for people like me and a million of Aucklanders who come here. Food and people If not wine than food! What else makes you determined enough to ride up and down for an hour? “Wild on Waiheke” provides high quality and very tasty food. Their garlic bread, salad and a variety of cheese and ham were excellent! Also, people who work there are friendly and helpful. When I arrived at noon all seats and tables were taken but they were still able to find a place for me. I had a look at ‘typical’ Kiwis having a great time. These people are chilled out beyond my imagination. They are not slobs, though. They keep their being chilled out well balanced so people who watch them do not feel embarrassed or disgusted. Kiwis chill out makes you relaxed and eager to share their state of mind. In this restaurant, I felt like being a part of a big party. Even though people did not know each other it still felt like somebody’s wedding. And let me tell you that the dress code was not wedding focused! Landscape The best part about this island is landscape. I was riding a bike and at some point I felt really exhausted but it did not prevent me from watching breathtaking views. Little bays, hidden beaches, gentle green hills, white boats on the water and blue sky over all of this was a reward for riding uphill. Just like elsewhere the middle of the summer makes a place colourful and smelly (in a good sense!). A variety of trees and flowers is delightful here and the whole island was like a big garden. New trend What I found most amusing was a popularity of this place. Yes, it is beautiful but often this is not good enough for people to come. Apart from a chill out of New Zealanders I can’t still well understand I think creating new trends works really well here. Wine has become a desirable and widespread drink recently. It is fancy to drink red wine instead of anything else. So people do. They have their favorite wines but also visiting a winery for a day became a great idea for a weekend. Waiheke would be still beautiful without wineries but for its beauty people would not come. If you are spending your summer in Auckland this is a great one-day trip. I think it is worthy to visit this island for its atmosphere, beauty and for people. I enjoyed my stay there very much and I hope to go back there soon. Travel Tip When you take a ferry don’t sit on the back lower deck. I did and after 15 minutes I was completely covered with salt and water. I looked like a wet chicken and for the whole day I had sticky hands. So make yourself comfortable inside the ferry.  

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Merry Christmas! https://blog.nullnfull.com/2014/12/24/merry-christmas/ https://blog.nullnfull.com/2014/12/24/merry-christmas/#respond Wed, 24 Dec 2014 00:57:48 +0000 http://nullnfull.com/?p=6400 Christmas cookies with anise stars and cinnamon sticks over wooden background. Top view..

New Zealand is not the most popular place to spend Christmas. Most of the people chose to go to Europe and participate in Christmas Markets. They sometimes attend Christmas carols’ concerts. There are many things in Europe that you cannot find in New Zealand, at least not at this time of the year. There is no snow because it is the middle of the summer. There are no Christmas trees all over the place because most of people go to the beach and have their barbecue on Christmas day. There are no Christmas carols played months in advance. And you simply don’t feel like Christmas. Last week I was complaining about all of this to my best friend. It’s so hard to feel Christmas here, I was saying. There is no darkness that help you focus, there is no smell of ginger bread in the kitchen, there is no snow, well there is nothing here like European Christmas. And he told me a very important thing: this is just perfect opportunity for you to focus on what is the most important part of Christmas. Birth of God. And suddenly I realised how true it is! Yes, all of these nice traditions may help you to feel the coming Christmas but what I think often happens is that it distracts you. You can easily use shopping, cooking and cleaning as an excuse for not doing more important things. And you will still have a feeling that you prepare yourself for Christmas time. So this year I’m spending Christmas totally different and I think I’m really enjoying it very much. There will be a Midnight Mass with a local community, Christmas carols sing by children and the real Christmas will happen. Merry Christmas everyone. I wish you the most beautiful time of the year, full of joy, peace and hope. Let yourself lost in thoughts about one important day two thousands years ago and a little baby that has changed everything.  

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Is New Zealand A Trekking Destination? https://blog.nullnfull.com/2014/03/31/new-zealand-trekking/ https://blog.nullnfull.com/2014/03/31/new-zealand-trekking/#comments Mon, 31 Mar 2014 06:53:55 +0000 http://nullnfull.com/?p=5200 Alex Knob trail, New Zealand

This spring was filled with short trekking breaks in different parts of Europe and it somehow made me think about New Zealand. One of the most spectacular hikes I did on the South Island was the one called Alex Knob trail. I can tell you this: there is no better view on Franz Josef majestic glacier than from this peak! This was a fantastic day and I can recommend this trail to all hikers. What is was special about it? A variety of landscapes I know the magic word ‘variety’ is somehow overused in the case of New Zealand but it is SO true! And I can’t do anything about it. This one day hike brought as many views as these: turquoise sea (The Tasman Sea), rocky shore (West Coast), sandy beach (Okarito Beach), bush and finally glacier (Franz Josef). Now think about Europe and about how many days you should walk to see it all? Itinerary The itinerary was straightforward: from the place when the road ends go up. No mountain huts along the roads. Actually spectacular views and nothing else. A welcome sign informed me that the trail is 17 km long and a return walk takes about 8h. And normally I would consider it moderate at most BUT I didn’t have any experience in walking in a bush. And this is completely different! Bush in this case means a forest full of native trees. It is thick, dense, humid and makes an impression of being impenetrable. It looks like my blogger mate Laurence from Finding the Universe found his favorite trekking paths here in New Zealand! Check his post about it. Stunning photos are his specialty. The good news related to New Zealand was that there is no poisonous animals on this island (no harmful spiders, snakes or scorpions). It cut a huge stress off and made the whole trek enjoyable. But the most difficult part was related to the extreme humidity. Mountains in Europe – vaguely speaking – are high and rocky. If you think about far Lapland or high Dolomites you will get the picture. Even though there are some trees it is rarely humid. But New Zealand is so different! After 3h of very steep climb I was exhausted. The view from the top was rewarding but somehow it made me disappointed that such an effort brought me only at the 1303 masl! A return way took me less than 8h but it was much more demanding than I expected. This trail was very different also because it was almost completely wild. There are no facilities, no mountain huts. There was a parking space down the road and a welcome sign. And this also makes this trail so different. In New Zealand trekking paths are often like this so I think the tourists should be better prepared and brought all survival stuff with them. Every year there are many foreign tourists being lost in New Zealand because they were unprepared to rapidly changing weather conditions. Think about it before you walk it. I found Alex Knob trail physically demanding but also extremely rewarding. No other place like this!   

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New Zealand Clip https://blog.nullnfull.com/2014/03/27/newzealand_clip/ https://blog.nullnfull.com/2014/03/27/newzealand_clip/#comments Thu, 27 Mar 2014 14:43:30 +0000 http://nullnfull.com/?p=5235 New Zealand Lakes

I finally did it! It took me ages but this short clip showing New Zealand Off The Beaten Track is ready to be watched. The difficulty related to this clip was a tough choice of most beautiful scenes and sites. After a one month stay in New Zealand I had hours of recorded movies. And it was a tough choice. So many spectacular places I have seen! Hopefully the one I picked up will make you smile! Filming locations: Lake Tekapo, Westport (West Coast), Abel Tasman National Park, Kaikoura, Farewell Spit, Ashburton (Canterbury), Lindis Pass, Milford Sound, Franz Josef Glacier, Okarito Beach, Golden Bay. New Zealand – Off The Beaten Track from Null & Full on Vimeo.  

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Grief is the price you pay for love https://blog.nullnfull.com/2014/02/22/christchurch-3-years/ https://blog.nullnfull.com/2014/02/22/christchurch-3-years/#comments Sat, 22 Feb 2014 08:00:48 +0000 http://nullnfull.com/?p=5001 Canterbury Earthquake

It’s always hard to find proper words in grief and mourning. Although we all have tragic events in our past we went through it is very hard to imagine what the people who lost their loved ones and their homes feel. The earthquake that hit Christchurch in February 22nd, 2011, took life of 182 people and destroyed the city. All people who lived in the city center and suburbs by that time were affected by the power of the element and were faced with a very difficult challenge of moving on after the disaster which is probably the hardest part. But before the community of Cantabrians started to reconstruct their region and capital city there was a very special day of Memorial Service organized. On March 18th 2011 in a sunny and warm day everybody came to Hagley Park to attend this service. A huge number of people gathered in this park. All prominent people of politics, sport and culture showed the importance of the community support. People said this service brought a relief. It was a good opportunity to unite over this difficult experience and instead of despair to feel the strength of human solidarity. As my tribute in this anniversary of the Canterbury earthquake I would like to share one quote I consider important. I truly admire people of Christchurch and their inner strength to re-create their city. “It is in the worst of times we often see the best in people (…) Today, as we begin to rebuild our lives, our city, we look to the future with hope and the resilience that has made us the people of Christchurch” ( Earthquake. The Press, 2011, p. 170).  

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New Zealand: My Regrets https://blog.nullnfull.com/2014/02/19/nz-regrets/ https://blog.nullnfull.com/2014/02/19/nz-regrets/#comments Wed, 19 Feb 2014 09:00:23 +0000 http://nullnfull.com/?p=4929 Sheep in New Zealand

Let’s make things clear: my biggest regret regarding New Zealand trip was not enough time to explore all I wanted! A month is relatively long to hanging around, get the first impression, enjoy some obvious stuff but not enough to go into details. New Zealand is amazingly rich in landscapes, wonders of nature, wilderness that I love and so many other things I haven’t seen nor experience. This is a classic regret of every traveler, I think. Hopefully, this list of things I haven’t seen will be a good opportunity for you not to miss it. And it’s a good starting point to plan another trip to New Zealand. Glacier hiking Although I stayed in Franz Joseph village for three days I didn’t go for a glacier hike. And I regret it. On the one hand it seamed hilariously expensive as you are taken by the helicopter to the site. It just didn’t feel right: I am used to the European version of glaciers when you need to climb it. There is a huge difference between Europe and New Zealand in this matter: accessibility in Europe is restricted. The glaciers we have, like Marmolada, are found really high (2600 m.a.s.l.). There are facilities that allow you to go there without excessive effort (cable railway etc.) but it’s always very high in the mountains. New Zealand is totally different: both glaciers – Franz Josef and Fox – are located near seashore and relatively low. This was one of the most amazing things I have ever seen: from the top of Alex Knob peak I saw an exotic beach on the one side and massive glacier on the other. It never happens in Europe or at least I am not aware of it (are you?). Glaciers in Europe are mostly covered with snow all year round. Some of them are available for skiing but in most cases it’s just a huge piece of a mountain covered with snow. In New Zealand you can actually see and touch the real stuff: Fox and Franz Josef glaciers give you an opportunity to enter the blue ice field crossed with crevasses and tunnels that has been there for centuries! All companies operating in these villages give you warm clothes and crampons. I saw many spectacular pictures and read a story by Ari about her hike in Franz Josef (I’m so jealous Ari!). It made me think that next time I’m in New Zealand I’ll definitely want to try. Sheep shearing Being on an island where 40 millions of sheep live without seeing a sheep shearing is weird. There are many local competitions and agriculture shows where you can see the experts doing their job but apparently I haven’t checked it in advance and as a result I haven’t seen it yet. I really enjoy watching local stuff, like local food markets or celebrations so I regret it very much. New Zealand always came along sheep in my mind so this might have been a missed opportunity. Next time I should start from it! At least I met this little fellow face-to-face. She was sort of a family pet of the owners of a campingsite. She was extremely friendly and when I touched her it was like a soft sweater rather than anything else. Seriously! The wool was just amazingly soft. I am happy that at least I touched a real New Zealand local sheep! Now two very intriguing sites: one I visited and regret and one I haven’t visited yet and I regret too. Moeraki Boulders Before I went to New Zealand I had intention to visit this place: a beach in Otago where Moeraki Boulders are displayed. These extremely old (few million years old) and fascinating stones were on my list but sadly when the tough decision of itinerary came I followed the weather forecast and preferred to go where probability of a sunny day was bigger. I usually enjoy watching such wonder of nature and I regret there was no opportunity to go and see moeraki boulders. This is also one of few opportunities to get closer to Maori culture. They have their own myths concerning this natural phenomenon. I really hope I’ll be able to be there next time and take breathtaking pictures at dusk. Mirror Lake Here is the only regret I have after visiting a place that I heard about before I went to New Zealand. This was a bizarre experience. From the first minute of my stay in Te Anau I noticed information about Mirror Lake. It would be hard to miss it as pictures and short description how to reach it is displayed literally everywhere (including local cinema). Mirror Lake is located along the road to Milford Sound and it would be really hard pass by without stopping. So the day I was driving from Te Anau to Milford I pull over my campervan and followed the crowds. The site is nicely prepared: there are parking spaces for all tourists plus a comfortable bridge with stairs to make the lake more accessible. But what a disappointment! More than a lake this is a pond. Small, shallow and filled with green rushes. The worst thing (apart of sandflies) was related to the wind: I had no chances to see a mirrored picture of high mountains because the pond was shaken by the waves. See for yourself what I saw.  

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Queenstown: what is so special about it? https://blog.nullnfull.com/2014/02/13/queenstown-special/ https://blog.nullnfull.com/2014/02/13/queenstown-special/#comments Thu, 13 Feb 2014 07:33:01 +0000 http://nullnfull.com/?p=4840 Kiwi Wildlife Park, Queenstown

Queenstown is a very interesting town: it is located in Otago, along Wanaka and Dunedin and although is not the most populated town in the region it is a world capital of extreme sports. It was fascinating for me when I drove into the city center and for the first time since I rented a campervan I had troubled with finding a parking space. Needless to say I paid a fine for parking in a space that was labeled as 2 hours limit but more fascinating than a parking ticket was the difference between these two towns: Wanaka and Queenstown. Similar in size, having a large lake and yet so different! Queenstown is buzzing with excitement, full of crowds, laugh, noise and colors. Wanaka – on the contrary – peaceful, quiet and picturesque. I didn’t go into details why these two closely located towns are so different but I suspect it is related to this whole ‘extreme’ stuff. Twenty years ago – I would imagine – Queenstown was also a sleepy and boring place, with breathtaking panorama – that’s true! – but with no tourism whatsoever. Perhaps someday I’ll find an expert to find out the answer but before I do let me tell you a little bit about Queenstown today. Attractions Leaving high adrenaline sports aside, as it was previously discussed in details, I found Queenstown fascinating. It is relatively small, which is the reason I use word ‘town’ instead of ‘city’ in this case. Everything is in walking distance and so I left camper and walked to Kiwi Birdlife Park first. This park is a private venture and was created few years ago on a urban landfill site. To be honest watching birds in a park closed in cages is not my favorite thing but I was very happy to do 2 things here: kiwi feeding and Conservation Show. Kiwi birds – a national symbol of New Zealand – are nocturnal animals which makes almost impossible to watch them in nature. I was told that the majority of New Zealanders have never seen a kiwi bird in their life! So the staff of this wildlife park switched day and night cycle (like in a different time zone), and in specially constructed nocturnal houses you can actually see the kiwi birds. It was really cool: the birds were actually much bigger than I expected. Amazing creatures! No surprise the Department of Conservation do its best to keep them alive. The conservation show was the second thing that the park was worth to pay a visit. Local experts explain the most fascinating things in details. I got known few surprising things, like there were no mammals on New Zealand island before white people came. Rats and dogs came along and started to threat the birds population. As previously there was no need to protect themselves from natural predators many native birds can’t fly (the majority of birds’ species are endemic, which means they live only in NZ and nowhere else). If the birds can’t fly they cannot escape if a dog chase them. Their nests are on the ground which make it really easy for rats and opossums to eat their eggs. It looks like kiwi birds are struggling for survival from the moment white people arrived. Good Food After a short visit in Kiwi Birdlife Park I went back to the center. Vudu Cafe was called ‘Excellent’ on FourSquare so I wanted to check this out. Just before I jumped off the cliff at Canyon Swing I ate a delicious muffin with vanilla ice cream. When this snack was brought to me the muffin was still warm! And the ice creams were covered with fresh raspberries. It really made my day! The place is awesome because you can enter from two different sides of the building. One door is located just next to the lake and another in the main street. Interior is narrow and long but ingeniously decorated. This place is SO busy it’s hard to get a table. But I love it! It guarantees that food is fresh and tasty. And it was. Accommodation I didn’t want to stay in Queenstown for the night as I thought it is quite busy and noise until late. So I went a bit further – towards Arrowtown – to stay at Willowbrook. At first I had huge problems with finding it: I passed by at least 3 times before I found it but eventually arrived safely to this charming place. For me the best thing about it was surrounding and the view on the mountains. The house was of wooden construction and it reminded me a classic British cottages, which was really nice. The silence, lovely views and New Zealand sheep next to my bedroom made my stay very pleasant. If you are in Queenstown I would highly recommend a short visit in Arrowtown – a small village of gold rush heritage. Old post, wooden houses and a creek nearby makes it very nice place for a walk. All in all, you visit Wanaka and Queenstown for completely different things. If you’re tired with crowd and noise of Queenstown you simple drive north and relax in quiet village on a lake. Which is great! I was really happy to discover both towns and enjoy such a variety! Disclosure: Kiwi Birdlife Park and Willowbrook B&B offered a generous discount for their services which I am grateful for.  

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Gest Post: City Walk in Christchurch https://blog.nullnfull.com/2014/02/10/gest-post-city-walk/ https://blog.nullnfull.com/2014/02/10/gest-post-city-walk/#respond Mon, 10 Feb 2014 08:30:21 +0000 http://nullnfull.com/?p=4992 New Regent Street, Christchurch

It looks to me that 2014 is a year of guest posts. Courtesy of Michael and Marlys from travel blog Easy Hiker another one was published.  This is a very interesting blog focused on short walks around big cities and also in countryside, coastal grounds and parks. I enjoy reading all posts but my favorite one was telling a story of Charles Dickens and his walks around London. I find it really fascinating and also useful. Next time I’m in London I’ll definitely visit some of the sites described. The guest post on Christchurch is right here. Enjoy reading it and let me just share the news I’m working on an important post on Christchurch that will be published next week. Stay with me!  

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