New Zealand: The known and the less known

If you have the zeal, New Zealand is the place for you. Join Jaideep Mukerji as he explores this tiny south pacific country which has everything you would want to experience, and more

Two thousand kilometres off the eastern coast of Australia is the South Pacific country, New Zealand, one of the smaller members of the Commonwealth. Most evidence suggests that the country was uninhabited until the 13th century when fearless Polynesian explorers sailing in canoes across thousands of miles of uncharted ocean arrived from other Pacific islands to settle down in this area. These settlers gradually came to be known as the Maori.

The European settlement in New Zealand began in early 19th century. Britain claimed sovereignty over the islands in May 1840 and declared them to be a ‘colony’ a year later. In November 1947, New Zealand became an independent country.

During one of my visits to the island of Fiji, I decided to extend my travel south to New Zealand. It was an interesting two-hour long flight on the Fijian airline, Air Pacific, from Nadi to Auckland. A 15-member football team consisting of Fijians of Indian origin was seated in the rows beside me and it was interesting to talk to them about what they knew of their ancestors and their land of origin. We landed at Auckland’s modern airport and said our goodbyes as the Fijian-Indians made their way to their first league game against a New Zealand team.

Renting a small car at the airport Avis car-rental office proved to be the right choice as the company gives out free detailed town and road maps. Leaving Auckland, a modern cosmopolitan city, I headed south to the town of Rotorua, a major tourist destination. Natural thermal activity is at the heart of Rotorua’s tourist appeal and visitors can soak their feet in several hot-water pools around town. Geysers shooting jets of steam several

feet into the air, bubbling mud pools and general thermal activity are visible in several parts of the town within easy walking distance of most hotels.

Rotorua is also called the ‘Sulphur City’ because of the hydrogen sulphide gas emissions from the geysers and hot pools which gives the entire city a ‘rotten eggs’ smell. That evening was a relaxing time to walk and see several mud pools, geysers and hot pools near the historic Tudor-style bathhouse. The Rotorua Bath House houses the Rotorua Museum of Art and History and was once a famous geothermal spa which offered healing treatments to visitors from all over the world. Opened in 1908, the Bath House represents the government’s first investment in the tourism industry.

Continuing southwards about 60km is the Wairakei Geothermal Power Station that uses steam and heat from the natural volcanic activity of the area to generate electricity. Like Iceland, New Zealand is one of the few countries in the world that use natural heat from the earth to generate power without creating pollution or greenhouse gases. The town of Taupo, located on the shores of Lake Taupo, the largest lake in New Zealand, is a short distance away and makes a convenient place to stop for lunch. With panoramic views of the lake, Taupo town is located at the very centre of the North Island and is the gateway to the Tongariro National Park, the largest nature park in New Zealand.

Heading down to Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand, I drove along Highway-1 skirting the eastern boundary of Tongariro National Park. From the highway, you can appreciate only a little of the first national park in New Zealand (and the fourth in the world). Established in 1887, Tongariro is also a World Heritage site, a status which recognises the park’s important Maori cultural and spiritual associations as well as its outstanding volcanic features. From fields of wild grass to forests, tranquil lakes, a desert-like plateau, snow fields and active volcanoes—Tongariro has them all. After a good six-hour drive along the country’s main highway, I reached Wellington, a city of 400,000 people, built around Wellington Harbour. I drove to the city centre and, after enquiring at three hotels, decided on the Kingsgate Hotel located in the heart of Wellington— close to the shopping area of Lambton Quay. There is a good selection of restaurants nearby including the Tulsi Indian restaurant that has several outlets in Wellington.

There are some ‘must-see’ places in Wellington—the Te Papa National Museum, the Wellington Cable Car ride and the Parliament building (or the ‘beehive’, as it is popularly known because of its shape) are definitely the top three. In Te Papa, New Zealand’s geology, natural history and the stories of New Zealand’s indigenous people, the Maori, are depicted in great detail—all housed in the impressive museum building overlooking the harbour. A full day for visiting Wellington is probably enough, if you are short of time, but one could easily spend two or three days enjoying the pleasant city at a relaxed pace.

The following morning, I returned the rental car to the Avis office and took the ferry service from Wellington on the North Island to the town of Picton on the South Island, crossing the Cook Strait.

The Cook Strait, separating the North and South Islands of New Zealand, is one of the most scenic stretches of waters in the world and the 92-km, three-hour journey between Wellington and Picton is one of New Zealand’s best tourist experiences, besides being one of the most spectacular short cruises in the world.

Avis had arranged for a car for my use on the South Island from their office located in the Picton ferry terminal office itself. This arrangement allows one to avoid the expense of bringing the car on the ferry.

A hundred kilometres west of Picton is the town of Nelson, close to the geographical centre of New Zealand and known for its arts, crafts and long stretches of

clean, sandy beaches. After a night at the comfortable

Rutherford Hotel, I was on my way to Greymouth on

the western coast of the South Island.

On the way, I stopped at Punakaiki to see the

‘Pancake Rocks’, a popular tourist destination 8km south

of the town of Westport. These are rock formations of

lime-rich fragments of dead sea creatures deposited on

the seabed and then overlaid by weaker layers of soft

mud and clay. Subsequently, the seabed was raised by

earthquakes, which created the present coastline. The

sea, wind and rain have since eroded the soft layers

to form the unusual rock formations one sees today.

When conditions are right, ocean waves thunder into

the caverns beneath the rocks and huge water spouts

blast skywards through the blowholes making a truly

stunning sight.

The town of Greymouth—the largest on the west

coast of the South Island—is a quick 45-km drive south

of Punakaiki and serves as a good base to explore the

glacier country of the Southern Alps. After an excellent

meal at the Priya Indian restaurant on the main street

and a comfortable night at the Kingsgate Hotel, I

continued south along the scenic coastal road past

the town of Hokitika to visit the Franz Josef and Fox

glaciers.

The Franz Josef is a 12-km long glacier located in

Westland National Park. Together with the Fox glacier

20km further to the south, it is unique in descending

from the snowfields of the Southern Alps to less than

1,000ft above sea level amidst the greenery and lushness

of a rainforest. Nearby, the small village of Franz Josef

located on the highway 5km from the base of the glacier

has several tourist hotels and a number of restaurants.

For me, the day spent exploring this part of New

Zealand was perhaps the highlight of the trip. Lush

green subtropical landscape, forests of tree-sized ferns,

the snow-capped Southern Alps and the magnificent

12,300-ft high summit of Mt Cook (or Aoraki in Maori)

combine to make this an incredibly beautiful place.

The following day, I headed east, across the breadth

of the South Island over the scenic Arthur Pass and

through the fertile cultivated plains of Canterbury

to Christchurch on the opposite coast, the country’s

oldest and second-largest city. Christchurch has the feel

of a very English town from the 1960s; Christchurch

cathedral and the pretty Avon river flowing through parks are

both located in the heart of the city. The International

Antarctic Centre opposite the city’s airport is one spot

not to be missed. From Christchurch, an hour-long

flight brought me back to Auckland and the end of a

wonderful journey.