It’s time for our next trip, and this is a big one. For years, New Zealand has drawn Samuel to its far shores, and it has always been on my list, and Janet and Bailey weren’t complaining about the prospect of visiting. However, as it is in the southern hemisphere, their seasons are reversed. Their summer, the best time for the visiting we want to do, is during the northern hemisphere winter, and so we are spending Christmas and New Year over there.
Where is New Zealand?
OK, when I say Janet and Bailey weren’t complaining, I wasn’t completely honest. We are already complaining about the prospect of a long flight. First, we fly Houston to Los Angeles (3 3/4 hrs.) then onto Auckland (13.5 hrs.).
We cross two dotted lines on the map: the equator, and the international date line. The date line is messing with our heads. New Zealand time is 19 hours ahead of us. This is equivalent to a day ahead, and 5 hours behind, so the “5-hour difference” is less than our difference with UK. That’s what drives most jetlag. However, the idea of leaving Houston on Tuesday afternoon, and not arriving until Thursday morning, is daunting. What is mind-bending is that, on our return, we leave at 4pm one day, and connect in San Francisco at 7am on the same day! Let the arguments about time travel continue. But we all are looking forward to celebrating Christmas and the New Year before any of you :).
What is New Zealand?
So, what do we plan to do? In summary, both the North and South Island. The country consists of two main islands, each one with different activities and vibes. Our flight from LAX arrives in Auckland (North Island), from where we take an internal flight to Queenstown (South Island) and make our way back to Auckland over the following twelve days.
The South Island is the one with lots of breathtaking scenery with big mountains over 10,000 ft, glacial valleys and deep fjords. The North Island has volcanic activity and is the home of “Hobbiton,” though the Lord of the Rings was filmed over both islands. Over the length of the country, the latitude ranges from 35 to 47 degrees south. In the northern hemisphere, this is equivalent to North Africa in the Mediterranean and Paris, or between Colorado and North Dakota. However, the ocean creates a more temperate climate, known for its wetness (like the UK).
Together, the islands are about 1000 miles long with a little over 5 million people, and 25 million sheep. We look forward to lamb dishes! It’s about the size of Colorado with the population of Louisiana or is comparable in population to Ireland, while the island of Ireland is about 4/5th the size. Overlap maps are fun and read below to learn what an antipode is!
About three quarters of the population live on the warmer North Island. However, what distinguishes these islands from other countries as much as their geography is their Māori heritage. These indigenous Polynesians did not land on the islands as the first humans until the fourteenth century, with westerners arriving in the eighteenth century. The Māori make up 15-20% of the population, and many places have both an English and Māori name. For instance, the Māori name for New Zealand is Aotearoa, meaning “land of the long white cloud.” Also, the country’s highest mountain, with an English name of Mount Cook, is Aoraki in Māori meaning “cloud piercer.” Rugby fans will be familiar with the New Zealand national team’s ceremonial Haka war dance, which we experienced this summer in Hawaii, another Polynesian island group. The ancient Polynesians sailed between these island groups!
Where Are We Visiting?
As New Zealand is so far away for those from the northern hemisphere, it appears close to Australia. So why not visit both places at the same time? To nip this idea in the bud, the distances are equivalent to saying you should visit California as part of a trip to New York or visit Cairo when visiting London. Also, New Zealand and Australia each have strong, unique cultures, climates, history, activities, and identities. Australia will be another time.
Most advice, which I certainly appreciate, is that two weeks is not enough to visit New Zealand’s North AND South Island. There is just too much to see, and while the distances are not great, the roads are closer to the Lake District’s winding two-lane roads than US Interstates. However, we are ambitious travelers and want to make the most of our twelve days in-country. I just hope I have enough time to keep this blog uptodate! We worked out an itinerary where we start in the South and make our way up to Auckland using a variety of transport options.
South Island
We arrive in Auckland (North Island) and get an internal flight to Queenstown (South Island). As we are likely to be jetlagged, we are starting with an overnight boat trip in Milford Sound, deep fjords with lots of sea life. Then, Samuel will bungy jump (which his Momma won’t watch), before we drive towards Mount Cook and hike the Hooker Valley Track and the Tasman Glacier View Track. Much of this area provided the mountainous backdrops in the Lord of the Rings. We look forward to attending the much-photographed Church of the Good Shepherd overlooking Lake Tekapo on Christmas morning before arriving in Christchurch that evening and experiencing its recovery from earthquakes about a decade ago. The following morning is an early start to catch the Coastal Pacific Train to Picton from where we catch the ferry to Wellington.
North Island
Our week in the North Island starts with a visit to the Weta workshop that created many of the Lord of the Rings’ special effects, followed by walking around Mount Victoria and visiting sights from the movie such as where the hobbits hid from the Nazgul when leaving Hobbiton. We are hiking the Pouakai crossing under Mount Taranaki in Egmont National Park while staying in New Plymouth before heading to Waitomo to visit some glowworm caves, and then touring Hobbiton. The hobbit holes have recently had interiors added behind their round doors which is exciting. We are staying in Rotorua for a few days, from where Samuel and I will do some diving, we will explore hot springs, Redwoods, Māori cultural attractions, and meet up with my friend and former lab-partner from college/uni who moved here many years ago.
The challenge has been choosing what to leave out, and many will argue we have not left out enough. But we have to do this the Ireland way, and we greatly appreciate Kylie and Jett housesitting and looking after Saydee while we travel.
This page is part of our New Zealand trip set of posts.
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