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Vacational Trip Reports
New Zealand November-December 2008: The Lost Land of the Kiwi
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<blockquote data-quote="Andrew Whitehouse" data-source="post: 1378863" data-attributes="member: 3550"><p><strong>Some useful information</strong></p><p></p><p>As mentioned above, I did most of the planning for the trip before I went. This was pretty easy using the Internet, although occasionally it's hard to find information.</p><p></p><p><strong>Places to stay</strong></p><p></p><p>I found accommodation in various ways, usually either looking at the tourist website for a town or using <a href="http://www.hostelworld.com/index.php" target="_blank">Hostelworld</a>. Hostelworld is pretty good, as it has reviews and usually a lot of information. Note that most hostels these days have single or double private rooms (sometimes ensuite) as well as dormitories. These are usually a bit cheaper than you might pay in a hotel (e.g. in Kaikoura I paid around £20 a night for a double ensuite room with sea views). There was one cock up in Christchurch though (see below). I also found one place through the Lonely Planet guide (in Picton).</p><p></p><p>Stewart Island:</p><p><a href="http://www.stewart-island.co.nz/index.htm" target="_blank">South Sea Hotel</a> - a bit old but fairly cheap with big rooms and a reasonable restaurant.</p><p><a href="http://www.bunkersbackpackers.co.nz/" target="_blank">Bunkers Backpackers</a> - put me up when the ferry got cancelled. Good value, but I pretty much just slept there.</p><p>Check the <a href="http://stewartisland.co.nz/" target="_blank">Stewart Island site</a> for other options.</p><p></p><p>Invercargill:</p><p>My first night I stayed in an appartment at <a href="http://www.livingspace.net/short_stay/invercargill/entry.htm" target="_blank">Living Space</a> in central Invercargill. Not really cheap but good value for what it is. And I wanted somewhere comfortable after two days flying!</p><p>I was planning to stay at <a href="http://www.fernbirds.co.nz/" target="_blank">Bushy Point Fernbirds B&B</a>, which is just outside the town, but the cancelled ferry scuppered that. I did visit to see the Fernbirds though. Recommended.</p><p></p><p>Te Anau:</p><p>I stayed at Te Anau YHA, which was pretty good.</p><p></p><p>Queenstown:</p><p>Melbourne House. This wasn't particularly good but wasn't terrible.</p><p></p><p>Twizel: </p><p>The rather smart, if a bit pricy, <a href="http://www.mountainchalets.co.nz/" target="_blank">Mountain Chalets</a>. The <a href="http://www.twizel.com/index.html" target="_blank">Twizel site</a> is helpful.</p><p></p><p>Christchurch</p><p>This was the cock up. I booked a place through Hostelworld and in the intervening month, it had been taken over and renamed. Luckily there was another hostel around the corner (Charlie B's), where they had room. It was fine except everyone kept saying 'awesome' all the time.</p><p></p><p>Kaikoura</p><p>I stayed at the amusingly named Lazy Shag hostel. This is a bit north of the town centre and it's quite a long trek down to the Albatross Encounter place (maybe 20-25 minutes walk). It's good though and very cheap. There's a nice restaurant next door where they do a decent veggie breakfast.</p><p></p><p>Picton</p><p>I stayed at <a href="http://www.thevilla.co.nz/" target="_blank">'The Villa'</a>, which was recommended in Lonely Planet. It's a very characterful place with amusing staff.</p><p></p><p>Warkworth</p><p>I stayed overnight at the <a href="http://www.bridgehouse.co.nz/" target="_blank">Bridgehouse Lodge</a> in Warkworth, prior to doing the Hauraki Gulf Pelagic. It's fairly cheap and okay but a bit noisy.</p><p></p><p>Tokyo Narita</p><p>I booked a room at the Narita Hilton through Expedia. The hotel was very comfortable and the staff helpful. It wasn't really pricy (about £42 for the room) but the food in the restaurants was a bit expensive. They do a regular and free shuttle bus service to and from the airport and also into Narita town.</p><p></p><p><strong>Transport</strong></p><p></p><p>Air - I travelled to New Zealand with <a href="http://www.airnewzealand.co.uk/" target="_blank">Air New Zealand</a>, who I reckoned were pretty good. You get quite a bit of leg room, which you'll need on such a long flight. I also used them for internal flights. On the international flights they had a good video selection and not all of the music they had on offer was completely awful, which makes a change.</p><p></p><p>Bus</p><p>The travel I did on land was by bus. Most trips were using <a href="http://www.intercity.co.nz/" target="_blank">Intercity</a>. Buses aren't always that frequent, particularly in the South Island. They mostly seem to be aimed at tourists, which means the drivers often give a running commentary of the sights. Sometimes this is good, sometimes not so good, but the intentions are right. I found drivers to be quite staggeringly friendly and eager to please. Booking in advance is recommended and you can often get reasonable prices for journeys this way.</p><p></p><p>There are quite a lot of backpacker bus companies in New Zealand. I had a bit of a look at these to see if I could get some sort of all-in-one ticket that would save me money. It seems that they don't do 'the birder's route' as an itinerary yet, sadly.</p><p></p><p>I used a few other companies for a couple of journeys. I used <a href="http://www.tracknet.net/tracknet/welcomeTNT" target="_blank">Tracknet</a> to get me from Te Anau to the Homer Tunnel. The <a href="http://www.cookconnect.co.nz/" target="_blank">Cook Connection</a> run buses twice daily between Twizel and Mount Cook Village, stopping in Glentanner. This is bus is potentially very useful for birders. I travelled from Twizel to Christchurch with <a href="http://www.tourism.net.nz/listings/frame/transport/17747?from=http://www.tourism.net.nz/region/christchurch/transport/shuttles/" target="_blank">Atomic Travel</a>. This was okay but I didn't think the service was quite as friendly as with Intercity.</p><p></p><p>Boat:</p><p>I got to Stewart Island with the <a href="http://www.stewartislandexperience.co.nz/" target="_blank">Stewart Island Experience ferry</a>. You can also buy a ticket that includes bus transfer from Invercargill.</p><p>I took the <a href="http://www.interislander.co.nz/Default.aspx" target="_blank">Interislander ferry</a> from Picton to Wellington. There are several sailings a day.</p><p>The boat to Tiritiri Matangi is run by <a href="http://www.360discovery.co.nz/" target="_blank">360 Discovery</a>. It's advisable to book in advance and they don't run trips on Monday and Tuesday.</p><p></p><p><strong>Birding info</strong></p><p>Stewart Island:</p><p>My travel to Ulva Island and the pelagic birding was set up with <a href="http://www.ruggedyrange.com/" target="_blank">Ruggedy Range Wilderness Experience</a>, who were very good. They do lots of other stuff if you're staying for longer.</p><p>The Kiwi watching trip was run by Phillip Smith. You can email him at <pds AT visitrakiura.co.nz> (replacing AT with @). These run most evenings but are dependent on weather and demand.</p><p></p><p>Kaikoura:</p><p>For albatross trips you want <a href="http://www.oceanwings.co.nz/albatross/ocean_wings/" target="_blank">Oceanwings Albatross Encounter</a>. Their large office is south of the town centre.</p><p>For whale watching you want <a href="http://www.whalewatch.co.nz/index.asp" target="_blank">Whale Watch Kaikoura</a>. Their office is to the north of the town centre.</p><p></p><p>Picton:</p><p>The trip I did to Queen Charlotte Sound was run by <a href="http://www.naturetours.co.nz/new-zealand/home/" target="_blank">Dolphin Watch Ecotours</a>, who do a wide range of different trips.</p><p></p><p>Wenderholm:</p><p>More information on the regional park <a href="http://www.arc.govt.nz/parks/our-parks/parks-in-the-region/wenderholm/" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><p></p><p>Hauraki Gulf:</p><p>The pelagic trip was run by Chris Gaskin of <a href="http://www.nzseabirds.com/" target="_blank">Pterodroma Pelagics</a>.</p><p></p><p>Mangatautari:</p><p>Find out more about the reserve <a href="http://www.maungatrust.org/home/index.asp" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><p></p><p><strong>Some other useful sites</strong></p><p></p><p>Weather forecasts</p><p><a href="http://www.metservice.co.nz/default/index.php" target="_blank">http://www.metservice.co.nz/default/index.php</a></p><p>Tide times</p><p><a href="http://ofu.co.nz/graph/tides.php" target="_blank">http://ofu.co.nz/graph/tides.php</a></p><p>New Zealand Birding List</p><p><a href="http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NEWZ.html#1196826631" target="_blank">http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NEWZ.html#1196826631</a></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Andrew Whitehouse, post: 1378863, member: 3550"] [b]Some useful information[/b] As mentioned above, I did most of the planning for the trip before I went. This was pretty easy using the Internet, although occasionally it's hard to find information. [B]Places to stay[/B] I found accommodation in various ways, usually either looking at the tourist website for a town or using [URL="http://www.hostelworld.com/index.php"]Hostelworld[/URL]. Hostelworld is pretty good, as it has reviews and usually a lot of information. Note that most hostels these days have single or double private rooms (sometimes ensuite) as well as dormitories. These are usually a bit cheaper than you might pay in a hotel (e.g. in Kaikoura I paid around £20 a night for a double ensuite room with sea views). There was one cock up in Christchurch though (see below). I also found one place through the Lonely Planet guide (in Picton). Stewart Island: [URL="http://www.stewart-island.co.nz/index.htm"]South Sea Hotel[/URL] - a bit old but fairly cheap with big rooms and a reasonable restaurant. [URL="http://www.bunkersbackpackers.co.nz/"]Bunkers Backpackers[/URL] - put me up when the ferry got cancelled. Good value, but I pretty much just slept there. Check the [URL="http://stewartisland.co.nz/"]Stewart Island site[/URL] for other options. Invercargill: My first night I stayed in an appartment at [URL="http://www.livingspace.net/short_stay/invercargill/entry.htm"]Living Space[/URL] in central Invercargill. Not really cheap but good value for what it is. And I wanted somewhere comfortable after two days flying! I was planning to stay at [URL="http://www.fernbirds.co.nz/"]Bushy Point Fernbirds B&B[/URL], which is just outside the town, but the cancelled ferry scuppered that. I did visit to see the Fernbirds though. Recommended. Te Anau: I stayed at Te Anau YHA, which was pretty good. Queenstown: Melbourne House. This wasn't particularly good but wasn't terrible. Twizel: The rather smart, if a bit pricy, [URL="http://www.mountainchalets.co.nz/"]Mountain Chalets[/URL]. The [URL="http://www.twizel.com/index.html"]Twizel site[/URL] is helpful. Christchurch This was the cock up. I booked a place through Hostelworld and in the intervening month, it had been taken over and renamed. Luckily there was another hostel around the corner (Charlie B's), where they had room. It was fine except everyone kept saying 'awesome' all the time. Kaikoura I stayed at the amusingly named Lazy Shag hostel. This is a bit north of the town centre and it's quite a long trek down to the Albatross Encounter place (maybe 20-25 minutes walk). It's good though and very cheap. There's a nice restaurant next door where they do a decent veggie breakfast. Picton I stayed at [URL="http://www.thevilla.co.nz/"]'The Villa'[/URL], which was recommended in Lonely Planet. It's a very characterful place with amusing staff. Warkworth I stayed overnight at the [URL="http://www.bridgehouse.co.nz/"]Bridgehouse Lodge[/URL] in Warkworth, prior to doing the Hauraki Gulf Pelagic. It's fairly cheap and okay but a bit noisy. Tokyo Narita I booked a room at the Narita Hilton through Expedia. The hotel was very comfortable and the staff helpful. It wasn't really pricy (about £42 for the room) but the food in the restaurants was a bit expensive. They do a regular and free shuttle bus service to and from the airport and also into Narita town. [B]Transport[/B] Air - I travelled to New Zealand with [URL="http://www.airnewzealand.co.uk/"]Air New Zealand[/URL], who I reckoned were pretty good. You get quite a bit of leg room, which you'll need on such a long flight. I also used them for internal flights. On the international flights they had a good video selection and not all of the music they had on offer was completely awful, which makes a change. Bus The travel I did on land was by bus. Most trips were using [URL="http://www.intercity.co.nz/"]Intercity[/URL]. Buses aren't always that frequent, particularly in the South Island. They mostly seem to be aimed at tourists, which means the drivers often give a running commentary of the sights. Sometimes this is good, sometimes not so good, but the intentions are right. I found drivers to be quite staggeringly friendly and eager to please. Booking in advance is recommended and you can often get reasonable prices for journeys this way. There are quite a lot of backpacker bus companies in New Zealand. I had a bit of a look at these to see if I could get some sort of all-in-one ticket that would save me money. It seems that they don't do 'the birder's route' as an itinerary yet, sadly. I used a few other companies for a couple of journeys. I used [URL="http://www.tracknet.net/tracknet/welcomeTNT"]Tracknet[/URL] to get me from Te Anau to the Homer Tunnel. The [URL="http://www.cookconnect.co.nz/"]Cook Connection[/URL] run buses twice daily between Twizel and Mount Cook Village, stopping in Glentanner. This is bus is potentially very useful for birders. I travelled from Twizel to Christchurch with [URL="http://www.tourism.net.nz/listings/frame/transport/17747?from=http://www.tourism.net.nz/region/christchurch/transport/shuttles/"]Atomic Travel[/URL]. This was okay but I didn't think the service was quite as friendly as with Intercity. Boat: I got to Stewart Island with the [URL="http://www.stewartislandexperience.co.nz/"]Stewart Island Experience ferry[/URL]. You can also buy a ticket that includes bus transfer from Invercargill. I took the [URL="http://www.interislander.co.nz/Default.aspx"]Interislander ferry[/URL] from Picton to Wellington. There are several sailings a day. The boat to Tiritiri Matangi is run by [URL="http://www.360discovery.co.nz/"]360 Discovery[/URL]. It's advisable to book in advance and they don't run trips on Monday and Tuesday. [B]Birding info[/B] Stewart Island: My travel to Ulva Island and the pelagic birding was set up with [URL="http://www.ruggedyrange.com/"]Ruggedy Range Wilderness Experience[/URL], who were very good. They do lots of other stuff if you're staying for longer. The Kiwi watching trip was run by Phillip Smith. You can email him at <pds AT visitrakiura.co.nz> (replacing AT with @). These run most evenings but are dependent on weather and demand. Kaikoura: For albatross trips you want [URL="http://www.oceanwings.co.nz/albatross/ocean_wings/"]Oceanwings Albatross Encounter[/URL]. Their large office is south of the town centre. For whale watching you want [URL="http://www.whalewatch.co.nz/index.asp"]Whale Watch Kaikoura[/URL]. Their office is to the north of the town centre. Picton: The trip I did to Queen Charlotte Sound was run by [URL="http://www.naturetours.co.nz/new-zealand/home/"]Dolphin Watch Ecotours[/URL], who do a wide range of different trips. Wenderholm: More information on the regional park [URL="http://www.arc.govt.nz/parks/our-parks/parks-in-the-region/wenderholm/"]here[/URL]. Hauraki Gulf: The pelagic trip was run by Chris Gaskin of [URL="http://www.nzseabirds.com/"]Pterodroma Pelagics[/URL]. Mangatautari: Find out more about the reserve [URL="http://www.maungatrust.org/home/index.asp"]here[/URL]. [B]Some other useful sites[/B] Weather forecasts [url]http://www.metservice.co.nz/default/index.php[/url] Tide times [url]http://ofu.co.nz/graph/tides.php[/url] New Zealand Birding List [url]http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NEWZ.html#1196826631[/url] [/QUOTE]
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New Zealand November-December 2008: The Lost Land of the Kiwi
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