Queenstown in daylight is full of people. Hoping from one shop to another. Town sightseeing and buying some souvenir to bring back home is recommended here. With lots of shops, goods variety and cheaper price no wonder it’s called tourist town. Then we go to PakNSave to buy chocolate and some dry food for our next trip. Lots of local chocolate are selling here. You wont regret once you come here.

PaknSave Supermarket

On the way back from PaknSave, we stop at beautiful Lake Wakatipu for sightseeing. The weather is nice, the sun is bright so the lake.

Lake Wakatipu

On afternoon, we attend graduation day at Queenstown Memorial Centre which the main reason coming to this beautiful land. After everything finish, we straight to Te Anau and Miflord Sound on the next day

Queenstown Memorial Centre Building

Freezing Te Anau and Magnificient Milford Sound

Arrived at Te Anau at night and straight to our accommodation at Te Anau Lakeview Kiwi Holiday Park & Motels . Again, temperature so cold. Maybe  next to lake too plus winter. Lucky we bring packing food, have dinner and sleep. The room is good, with shared toilet with next room and heater is functioning well to give enough warm to us. Kitchen is on another block which require  a little walk but since we pack our food earlier so it doesn’t require us walking in the freezing night.

Te Anau Lake View room

Its  -3⁰ in the morning. Our car are frosting. It take some time to fully warm the car especially to defrost. We straight to Milford Sound in early morning. Road Adventure begin. Driving while road still dark made the forest look enchanted magical. Road a bit slippery in certain area.Need to very careful, But it worth with stunning mountain view. And snow  cap are almost everywhere on the mountain.This time we can see so close. We reach 1 hour early from schedule cruise trip.Now, time to breakfast in the car, because outside are too cold(for us). Our Cruise tour is with Lucy Cruise. Driver get half price since rental car also with them. Our trip is first in of the day. We pick this time because to avoid traffic on road and tunnel(its one way, so need to take turn), cheaper price and need to heading back to Queenstown after that.

Milford Sound Cruise ship ready to serve you

Hot tea and coffee are free in the ship. Unlimited cup.But only drink, you can purchase snack on board.  Everyone is queuing because too cold perhaps. Not sure the temperature that time, because no coverage here to check weather.Cruise captain are nice, friendly enough and well described about each point we pass and stop.

Milford Sound Magnificent view from deck

Sea and mountain view from the deck is great, but I  cannot stay longer on the deck because the wind too cold and my nose start to running flu. With mountain covered by snow. Amazing view from ship especially at the border Tasman sea is priceless. Far-reaching sea. Far far away. Thats how the freezing trip from Queenstown to Te Anau and Milford Sound describe me.

I love this view. Thinking about being a viking in Milford Sound

Everyone don’t want miss a chance to capture moment with Bowen Waterfall Milford Sound

After tour is completed,  we straight back to Queenstown to next accommodation and to catching flight for next day. The trip is almost over…

next… Heading back to queenstown and enjoy last moment

The post Freezing Trip From Queenstown to Te Anau and Milford Sound appeared first on MalaysiaSky.

Using Jetstar flight to begin the winter trip to Christchurch and Twizel, travel time taking around 1.5 hour from Auckland Airport. Arrived after sunset, temperature different is significantly felt once going outside airport terminal. From 16-18^o in Auckland, its going down to 6-8^o in Christchurch. Knowing South Island is colder than North Island, but don’t expect to be this cold.

Luckily we have prepare winter jacket and thermal heat clothes earlier. From the airport, we have been pickup by rental car company staff and straight away to their office to fetch the rental car. We rent from JUCY company. Once everything settle, time to experience driving for the first time in NZ. But since it’s already dark, we go straight to our accommodation at YHA Christchurch Backpackers Hostel in town. Not far away from airport, around 20 minutes driving.

YHA Christchurch Backpackers Hostel Reviews.

• Good and neat
• Quiet and peaceful
• Big lounge and dining room
• Individual heater in room
• Stairs only. Heavy bag? Time to gain some muscle
• Shared bathroom and toilet. Some are private

It’s foggy in the morning. Temperature is low. Around 4-5^o. Luckily car heater function well. Faster warm up the car. After having breakfast, we are heading to Christchurch town to visited few places most effected after recent earthquake.

ChristChurch Cathedral after earthquake

mall from colorful container in the town

Dress smart mall– coincidence having winter sale, Canterbury clothes, platypus shoes and lots more shop to explore and shopping.

We leave Christchurch town on noon. And it’s still foggy that time.

Road to Twizel

Road view is stunning. With mountain and farm on left and right, sheep, cow even alpaca beside the road, it’s really wonderful. But the most shocking moment of the day is when time to refuel petrol, its fuel first and pay after. And payment counter are inside.

Along the way to Twizel, we drop by at 2 places

1. CookietTime :  factory which bake delicious cookies, cheap and crispy.
   

   CookieTime factory shop

2. Lake Tekapo : It’s a beautiful lake even day getting darker and almost sunset by the time we reached.
   

   Lake Tekapo. Not sure the mountain cover with snow cap is Mt Cook or cloud

    

   

   Another view Lake Tekapo

Arrived at Twizel by night. Road are foggy and dark. Visual range are very limited and its freezing outside. Maybe because in Mt Cook mountain range make the atmosphere like this. So the day  trip conclude with overnight at Fraser Cresent Holiday House.

Fraser Cresent Holiday House Review:

• Big house
• 4 room. Can occupy around 10 people
• Have fireplace at hall
• Warmer on aircond not function. Freezing until fireplace fully warm the hall. Take long time. I think after 4 hours
• Room don’t have heater. Only electric bed warmer.
• Luckily water heater are function properly
• House completed cooking utensil, dishes. Washing machine, refrigerator, microwave, oven, like a real house needed.

Fraser Cresent Holiday House

Fireplace inside Fraser Cresent Holiday House

For our travel pack, we bring cooking ingredient to cook and meal box in case hard to find halal food or arrive late at destination. That’s why most accommodation we booked are fully equipment with cooking utensil. Thats a one nice trip to Christchurch and Twizel.

Continue part 3…journey from Twizel to Queenstown

The post Winter Trip to Christchurch and Twizel, South Island NZ appeared first on MalaysiaSky.

From Auckland airport, We take ride with Uber, which required around 30 minutes average journey depends on traffic to Auckland city centre.

The first accommodation is at YMCA hostel.

YMCA Hostel Review

• Hotel is good with good envy. Even in the middle of the city, but not so disturbing with motorcar sound
• Quiet and peaceful
• Shared neat bathroom, toilet, full equipment kitchen and lounge
• Centralized heating system, so no need to be freezing while waiting for room to warm enough
• Staff are friendly enough
• Elevator
• Dorm is clean
• Free storage room, to keep luggage after check out but still want to visit city

The Auckland city just walking distance from the hostel. With a lot of attraction, food, shop and iconic place, this hostel is consider good place to stay.

Iconic Place Visited

1. Sky Tower, the popular building in Auckland, can watch entire city from the top.
   

   The Iconic Sky Tower

    

2. Viaduct Basin– Area of commercial, residents and entertainment. Lots of cruise to take if you wish to looking around. Enjoy having meal accompany by group of seagull.
   

   Viaduct Basin

    

3. Albert Park-  Surround with beauty panorama, this park is worth to visit even need to hike a bit
   

   Albert Park Surrounding

    

   

   Sky Tower from Albert Park

    

4. Civic Theater– first movie theater in NZ

Civic Theatre Building

Not sure NZ  is wifi limited or just me sitting and hover in wrong spot, so i decided to get travel sim card with Vodafone . The package are NZD 49 for one month validity, come along with 1GB data, 200 minutes talk and 200 sms.

What i noticed, this city is a bit quiet in night, which shop are early close, and people are less, maybe winter time people are comfortable to stay warm inside the house.

Staying here only for one night, a lot of place are missing to discover and explore. But need to catch up flight to South Island. Next destination; Christchurch.

Next.. Winter Trip To Christchurch And Twizel

The post Trip to Auckland, North Island of New Zealand appeared first on MalaysiaSky.