Travels in New Zealand

Mount Victoria is a 196m tall hill in the Eastern suburbs of New Zealand's capital city, Wellington. It offers unrivalled panoramic views out over the city and the top of the hill is the shooting location of many of the famous cityscape photographs advertising the city.

As well as being the name of the big hill, Mount Victoria is also the name of the adjoining suburb, which is largely but not entirely residential. It also lends its name to the Mount Victoria tunnel which runs through the hill itself and is the main way of getting to the airport, which is on the Miramar peninsula to the east.

===The Town Belt===
The wooded park area on the western face of the ridge forms part of Wellington's Town belt, a green reserve around the hills encircling Wellington that was set aside over 150 years ago to provide public park and woodland areas within the city. This area is crisscrossed with cycle and walking trails up the side of the hill. It really feels like you have left the big city, whereas in reality it is only a few hundred metres away.

It was in this woody area, almost exactly 10 years ago that the first shooting for Lord of the Rings took place. Several scenes were shot here, in various parts of the wood, with the most well known being the famous "Get off the road, quick!" scene and the mad dash to Buckleberry ferry as the hobbits are hunted by a black rider. The film locations are generally marked with small discrete signposts, though if you didn't have an expert who knew exactly where they were and what angle the shot was taken from, you would find it very hard to spot!

===The suburb===
The houses in this suburb are laid out roughly in a grid manner. But as I found out when I tried to navigate through as if it were a straightforward grid, some of the roads have dead ends, which leads to embarrassing moments of having to fish out a map. My experience was that if any local spots you doing this, they come up to you and ask if you need help finding your way around and then proceed to ask you about how you like the country, where you are from etc. This suburb is quite wealthy compared with the rest of the town in terms of income, but it's more of a renting area for rich young couples than a family area.

===The geography of this area===
I always find it a little bit tricky to get my head around the geography of the Wellington region. It is famous for being at the very South of the North Island, yet when you are in the city, the sea is to your North and East, which is very counterintuitive if you haven't seen a detailed map. Of course, this is because the enormous Wellington Harbour loops around the Miramar peninsula, so that there is just a small spit of land sticking out. This spit means that if you leave the city by boat, you have to start off in a Northern direction, then do a big spiral loop round the Mount Wellington and Miramar areas in order to ultimately head South. From the top of Mount Victoria, this means you can see huge amounts of the sea and harbour - very stunning!

===Mount Wellington on Google Maps===
Much more of New Zealand is on Streetview than the UK. So if you go to google maps, you can have a wander around the roads of the area and imagine you are there yourself. Why not have your very own "Go into the bright light at the end of the tunnel" near death experience heading westward through the Mount Victoria tunnel? Imagine all the cars tooting their horns in unison.

===The Summit===
You can drive (on roads with many hairpin bends) to reach the summit of the hill - I definitely recommend doing this if you visit the city. There are also buses that go up to the top of the hill fairly frequently. There is a car park at the lookout at the top. Stop here, then walk up to the summit, pausing to look at the cannon en route. Keep an eye out for the Byrd memorial while you are up there; this is a big pointy monument to the great explorer that is supposed to look like an expedition tent that antarctic explorers like Byrd would have had. The lookout area has recently been upgraded with a new viewing platform, new toilets and more information panels. You may also be able to get a cup of tea if a food van is up there like it was when I was there.

===Conclusion===
If you are in Wellington, come here to take your panoramic pictures of the city.

Review was cross-posted.

Shotover Jet is the name of a New Zealand adventure company based in Shotover Canyon, near Queenstown, New Zealand. They offer what is apparently the world's most exciting Jet Boat right through the steeply walled canyon.

===What is a jet boat and how does it work?===
You may be wondering what jet boating is. Imagine, if you will, a cross between a hovercraft and a motor boat that can carry up to 28 passengers. These are very rapid boats that can operate in very shallow water and move very close to obstacles. This is ideal for the famous braided rivers of the South Island, which are twisty, shallow, meander over the seasons and have many frequent obstacles.

Unlike a propeller driven boat, these boats are powered by jets of water. The water is sucked up through two inlet areas underneath the boat, and then jetted powerfully out of the two rear jets to provide both steering and propulsion. The direction the jets point in is adjustable, which means that the jets are also used for very rapid braking. By combining the two jets and separately adjusting the power, the boats can make extremely rapid changes in direction and speed and operate in only a few inches of water.

===Jet boating as a sport===
Of course, this is New Zealand, so what was initially a practical way of getting around has been developed into an adventure sport - these boats are driven to thrill! The sport boats have four tiered rows of seats, with the rear ones being raised above the front ones - partly for a better view, but also because that's where the jet is. Heated hand rails make the experience a little bit more comfortable, but do take a woolly hat to keep warm and your sunglasses to keep the wind out of your eyes. And make sure you hold on for the sharper turns, because you do slide all over the place.

The most fun thing that can be done in a jet boat (but not in normal boats) is a 360-degree spin that is virtually on the spot. It's a little bit like a handbrake turn; by angling the jets just right, you do a tight left hand or right hand spin and go all the way around. This causes the occupants to be flung around the boat (hold on!) and a big splash that soaks half of the boat. For this reason, the driver will mix left hand and right hand spins to ensure that everyone ends up with a sexy punk drowned rat hairstyle by the end of the trip.

===Shotover Canyon===
Shotover canyon is a steeply walled narrow gorge, filled which white, churning water and a myriad of rocky obstacles, only some of which are visible above the water line. It is through this treacherous passage that the boats journey. Very rapidly. The pilots know their boats well, so drive extremely close to the walls for maximum adrenaline rush. You are being filmed for the duration of the ride by a camera at the front of the boat and another one at the rear. Selected clips of this (presumably the best) are made available as a pricy souvenir at the end of the ride. So overact the fear to your heart's content as you near the walls, or yawn and look bored, as you choose.

===Safety and comfort===
For safety reasons, you wear life jackets and for comfort, you don waterproofs. Don't expect these to keep you dry - you will be soaked by the end of it, particularly if you sit in one of the edge seats. The edge seats are definitely more fun - do take one of those. All of your bags and other possessions will be left in secure lockers whilst you are on the boat, but I generally don't bring anything I can't afford to lose just in case.

===The price===
The jet boat ride costs NZD$109 (about £45) for adults and $69 for children. So this is not a cheap activity, but adrenaline sports in New Zealand are generally extremely pricy, so this is not an unreasonable price. A bus to the canyon is provided as part of the price. You should budget about another £10-20 per person for souvenirs, such as the video or a t-shirt.

===Is it the most exciting Jet Boat ride in the world?===
We also went Jet Boating on a river near Te Anau, so this was our second experience of the sport. Shotover was a little bit more exciting (because of the fear we were going to drive into the walls), but as adrenaline sports go, this is definitely extremely tame. But tame doesn't mean boring - it was plenty fun enough. So perhaps it is true that it is the most exciting in the world, but that's not saying very much. It does however, have a huge celebrity following. There is a wall of photographs of famous celebrities going boating, including many rock and film stars.

===Other things===
They do have a minimum age of 3 years old, and insist on adults accompanying young children. People with medical conditions should speak with them about individual requirements. It does involve a fairly steep walk down to the river, but there is access for people with limited mobility.

There is a cafe and a shop at the centre. We didn't have much time to try these because we were there at the end of the day and the last shuttle bus of the day was waiting for us. Overall, you should expect the round trip to take about 1.5 -2 hours, including boat ride. It is a good idea to book in advance, particularly in busy times, but in April (Autumn in NZ), we were able to turn up on the day and get seats. Opening hours vary on the time of year, but this sport requires good light, so usually finishes around 3.30-4.30 depending on time of year.

===Conclusion===
An excellent choice for a family friendly adventure sport if you are in New Zealand. Fairly tame, but lots of fun.

Review will be posted elsewhere

The Powderhorn Chateau is a luxury hotel located on the outskirts of a small skiing town called Ohakune, about half a day’s drive north of Wellington. If you are driving through the area, I strongly recommend it as a place to stay. We came here in April 2009, which is Autumn in New Zealand and not ski season.

===The price===
Surprisingly for a luxury hotel, the price is affordable by UK standards even given the current terrible exchange rates, but New Zealand is generally a lot cheaper. Prices are currently around NZD$200 (about £90) per room per night in the summer and NZD$230 (about £100) in the winter. If you can’t afford this for your whole trip, I can recommend a camp site half a mile further down the road for you instead for $6 a night where you can stay for the rest of your holiday!

===The area===
It is located at the southernmost edge of the Tongariro National park, on the southern foothills of Mount Ruapehu, a very active volcano which is also home to the North Island’s two ski areas (Whakapapa and Turoa). Turoa is the ski field that is serviced by Ohakune – all the accomocation is down in the village and skiers must daily brave the narrow knife-edge winding road leading up to the resort – but, hey, this is New Zealand and the locals don’t do things by halves, particularly their famous love of adventure sports.

As well as skiers, this is also a good place for hiking. The Tongariro crossing is one of the North Island’s most celebrated trails and has the added advantage that it is only one day long. The area is in the middle of nowhere though, so if you leave the main road, you quickly reach places that feel like there are no humans for many miles around.

===The rooms===
The rooms were large and spacious and came with the standard set of television, ironing facilities, fridge with minibar, telephone and tea making facilities. There was one queen bed and one single, a sofa, a table, a bathroom and a walk in closet that was larger than many rooms I’ve stayed in. Many of the rooms have balconies and some have spa baths.

===The ambience===
The chateau has an opulent feel of a hunting lodge, ski chalet and luxury hotel all rolled into one. The walls are made of varnished log, the carpets thick and luxurious. Surprisingly, given the carpets, it was not at all dusty, but was clean and easy to breathe throughout. Lifts operate to every floor, though we generally found it quicker to walk than wait. There are lots of steps in the building, but ramps or lifts everywhere help with the accessibility.

There is an executive suite called "The Mansion", which is where Peter Jackson stayed during production of Lord of the Rings. More recently, it homed the comedy duo Flight of the Conchords when they were filming New Zealand scenes for their latest series. If it isn’t occupied, you may be able to get a look around, like we did. The suite contains several bedrooms, nearly as many bathrooms, and a lounge area with a bar. There is also a guest book kept in that suite which all the big stars who stayed at the chateau signed. At NZD$750 per night (about £350), it was out of our price range, but affordable to a group.

===Other amenities===
Sadly, we were only staying for one night, so we didn’t get a chance to adequately try out all the amenities the hotel had to offer. These included a hot pool, laundry, a games room, internet and conferencing facilities.We did try out the restaurant and the breakfast bar, both of which offered a wide range of food, including for vegetarians. They were very helpful at dealing with other food requests (no dairy). Breakfast was included in the price, and the dinner cost us about £20 per person, including wine.

There is a supermarket nearby in the village and an ice cream shop that must not be missed. Next door to the hotel is a ski shop, though we didn't visit as we were there out of ski season.

===Lord of the Rings connection===
The chateau has a strong Lord of the Rings connection – when the Mordor scenes were being filmed nearby, much of the cast and many of the crew were housed here. You can request to stay in a star’s room. If you pay NZD$20 (about £8), you can get a certificate stating that you stayed in that particular star’s room and get a key fob for the room number. We stayed in Andy Serkis’ room, though we didn’t find any graffiti saying that Gollum was there!

===The service===
Our experience with the staff was that they were warm, friendly and helpful in a chatty kind of way – do talk to them as they have some very interesting tales to tell (Their lips were, of course, sealed about the stars!). When we asked if there were a microwave we could use to warm through some food, we were told that there wasn’t but that they’d sort something out for us. Ten minutes later, a takeaway bag was presented to us with everything neatly packaged in separate boxes.

===In conclusion===
This was my favourite hotel in New Zealand. Warm, friendly and luxurious, I couldn’t have asked for anything more!

Review will be posted elsewhere

Rolleston House youth hostel is a HI hostel on Worcester St in the centre of Christchurch, New Zealand. It is situated close to several bus stops, including the bus to and from the airport (which started running early enough for me to get my pre-10am flight). It also has some car parking available, but most of the people who were there when I was were backpackers.

HI is more or less an international version of the YHA, so if you are a YHA member or a member of any other affiliated organisation then you get a $3 (about £1.30) discount per adult per night (with differing rates for children), but this is only really worth it if you will stay more than a couple of nights in hostels over the course of a year.

I came as a lone traveller here two years ago and found it a great base to stay. It was cheap (NZD$26, about £12 per night for a bed in a mixed dorm), clean, in a nice area, and I met plenty of like-minded travellers of all ages, so it didn't have the lonely feel that staying in a hotel by yourself can do. Most of the occupants of the hostel when I was there were in the 18-35 age bracket and were travelling by themselves, but I met some very friendly retired people there as well.

===The dorms===
The dorm I stayed in was fairly small (8 people sleeping in 4 bunk beds) and was mixed sex. The upper bunks didn't have reading lights, which meant that an eye mask and a torch were essential items to bring if you have a different idea of bed time from your fellow travellers. And definitely don't forget the ear plugs!

Looking at the website, I see that the dorm I was in was actually the largest in the hostel. The hostel also has some smaller single sex dorms and (pricier) private rooms, some with en suite facilities ($97 per night per room, or about £45), but when I was there in summer, these were all booked up when I called a few days in advance. Like many hostels, you can book a dorm to yourself, but you would pay for all the beds in the dorm not just the ones you are using.

Other than the beds, there was very little additional furnishing in our dorm, but it also had an outside balcony with comfy chairs to sit in. Each bed had a shelf where you could leave your bag, but don't take much stuff with you as there is not a lot of space. The norm when you are stay in hostels in NZ is to just leave everything in your room and not worry too much about security, but if you are paranoid, then you could get security devices for your bag (I've seen several with a wire netting that goes around the bags) because there really isn't much in the way of secure storage here.

===The washrooms===
The showers were very basic but clean and there were too few of them (only two in the women's bathroom). The showers had a splash curtain, but no enclosed area for you to leave your clothes, so they were definitely not for the overly shy. There were toilets with wash basins on both floors, but queues in the morning were inevitable.

===Kitchens===
The communal kitchens and eating area were large and well-provisioned with pots, pans and crockery; there are several grocery stores within a five minute walk of the hostel, so you can save a bit of money by cooking for yourself. As with most hostels, there is a "help yourself" area of the fridge and cupboards where you can leave any food you don't want when you leave. Be sure to label and date your shopping bags though, as food without a recent label will be removed!

===Other facilities===
The hostel also had various other facilities that I've now come to expect as the norm when travelling - pay as you go internet connection, payphones, a good library of books and videos, a big common room with a tv area and a reading area. There were security lockers in the common area but rather too few to go around. I didn't use the laundry myself, but the other residents said it was acceptable.

===The area===
This hostel is located in the city centre of Christchurch, which is quite small - it is only a 10 minute walk to the cathedral square, which is the heart of tourist Christchurch. It is about a minute's walk from the Canterbury museum and the botanic gardens, both of which are well worth a visit. Do take the opportunity to go for a punt ride on the River Avon if you get a chance.

Opposite the hostel is a restaurant/bar called Dux De Lux which I can recommend you visit if you stay at the hostel. This offers an excellent range of vegetarian and fish dishes, with some of them vegan and gluten free. I have a separate review of this establishment (which I hope to put on dooyoo soon!). For more adventurous night life, there are many bars and restaurants within walking distance, many of which have live music. You may also like to have a ride on the tourist tram that goes around the historic centre - there is a stop opposite the hostel. I've written more about the tram in a separate review.

===Summary===
In conclusion, my experience of the hostel as a budget traveller was an excellent one and I recommend this hostel, particularly if you are alone and want to meet other travellers.

Review will be posted elsewhere

Dux De Lux is an "aquatarian" restaurant/bar complex in Christchurch, New Zealand that offers great food for vegetarians (and pescetarians) at a reasonable price. It is located in the city centre, next to the Arts centre, and is extremely close to the Botanic Gardens. On the two occasions that I have been there, the outside seating has been extremely crowded, with a few spaces inside in the restaurant area. Dux de Lux is a complex that is divided into several parts – including the restaurant, three bars, and two outside seating areas. This review is about the restaurant.

===The atmosphere===

The furnishing and atmosphere here are a quirky mixture of "traditional British pub" mixed with "gleaming school canteen" – for the most part, the tables and surrounds are very traditional, with thick carpets and wooden panelling, but the food ordering area and kitchen are brightly lit chrome that you can see a fair amount of from the nearby tables (though fortunately, it’s not particularly noisy). The seating is comfortable, though not opulent and provides an excellent opportunity to people-watch. As it is indoors, it is no-smoking.

===The food===

Described on its web page as "Aquatarian", the foods available are seafood or vegetarian, with a fair number of the dishes having a Dairy free, gluten free or vegan versions – but be sure to specify this when you order, because they aren’t generally DF, GF or vegan by default.A key attraction here is the wide range of relatively unusual pizzas that they have – several seafood variants, a few roast vegetable variants and a Mexican pizza which was extremely spicy (but delicious!).

As well as the pizzas, they have a mixture of starters/snacks, main dishes and desserts. Most of the main dishes are fairly substantial fare and will leave you very full. I tried the Gado Gado, which is basically vegetables, rice and a satay sauce – it was spicy, tasty and filling enough, but nothing like as tasty as the pizza I had had on my previous trip, which was superb!
In summary: order the pizza (there are GF bases available).

People who prefer bland and plain food or meals comprising meat and two vegetable will definitely struggle to find something that they enjoy here, but for vegetarians and other food-lovers, it’s fantastic.

===The cost===

Eating out in New Zealand is generally much cheaper than the UK. The food here was a little bit more than most of the comparable (i.e. vegetarian-friendly) restaurants I’d been to in New Zealand, but not excessively so –main dishes cost around the NZD$23-28 mark (about £10-13), but the food was superb, so you get good value for money.

===The rest===

As mentioned, this are also three bars as well as the restaurant, which means you have a good selection of drinks available, though we were very traditional and stuck with a local wine with our meal (New Zealand produces some excellent wines, so we thought it only fair to sample as many as we possibly could). There was a brewery bar (which apparently brews its own award-winning beer on-site!), and from the adverts, I gather that there is frequently live music at the Dux (although sadly not when I was there).

In terms of accessibility, when approaching it from the car-park side, as we did, we had to weave our way through many people and navigate several steps. This might have been tricky had we had more than the one glass of wine or any mobility problems!

===The sister-bar===

The sister bar/restaurant of the same name in Queenstown isn’t anywhere near as good in my opinion – the seating is all much more bar-like and uncomfortable, the range of foods offered are much reduced, the lighting is poor and the place was noisy. But you will get some proper meat dishes (sadly not much at all for vegetarians or vegans). Basically, it’s a bar that does a few meals. It’s good at being a bar, but if you were a vegetarian expecting the same as the Christchurch location, you will be disappointed.

===In Conclusion===

In conclusion, the restaurant at the Christchurch Dux de Lux was my favourite restaurant in New Zealand. It offers excellent food at a reasonable price.Review may be cross-posted elsewhere

Mokai Gravity Canyon is a centre for performing a trio of adrenaline sports - bungee jumping, canyon swinging and their world famous flying fox. It is located near Taihape, New Zealand, a couple of hours drive North of Wellington.

===The Canyon itself===
The canyon itself featured in some river scenes of Lord of the Rings, so you may recognise it. The walls of the canyon are sheer and mostly bare with a few lone plants clinging on in a few places. The narrow road leading from the main road to the centre winds back and forth and crosses the canyon by bridge several times. As we crossed each bridge, I noticed that the river was getting steadily further and further below the road, causing the knot in my stomach to grow a little more each time with trepidation at what lay ahead. By the time we got there, I felt like I had had a dozen cups of coffee.

===The Centre===
The adventure centre at gravity Canyon consists of a building clinging to the side of the canyon with a viewing platform from which you peek right out over the depths. This centre is the place that you pay for your activities and get weighed. The web pages specify a minimum age of 10 and minimum weight of 45kg for most of these activities and they're rated safe to extremely high weights.

Next to the building is the bridge across the canyon (from which you launch yourself for the bungee jump and the swing) and over which the intrepid voyagers of the Flying Fox must cross.

This centre has cafe facilities and a wide selection of T-shirts. I purchased one that reads in garish capitals "It's not a real sport unless you could die from massive internal injuries" - good taste, what's that? In terms of accessibility and support for people with medical conditions - speak to them in advance about your needs - the centre has disabled toilets, but you won't be able to do the flying fox very easily as it involves a steep climb up a hill with many steps. You do have to declare medical conditions, but unlike in the UK they don't automatically stop you from doing fun things.

===The Cost===
At $110 (about £45-50) per person for the first activity, it's definitely not cheap, but if you do more than one activity in a day, then prices drop to $65 (about £25-30) per person per subsequent activity. Why not try all three so you get your money's worth?

===Bungee Jumping===
This bungee jump is 80m and is the highest bridge jump in the North Island.
As all of us were old crocs with bad backs, we didn't do the bungee jumping here (though I have done this elsewhere before). But we watched several people doing so - this is a fantastic spectator sport and makes me laugh every single time. The willing victim gets attached to a giant elastic rope, shuffles out from the bridge on a narrow platform, a bit like walking the plank, then hurls themselves off into the void. At that point, they swear, scream or remain numb with terror as they drop like a stone. Some people carry on screaming the whole way through the activity. Then they are lowered down to the river, released from their rope and are winched back up again in a motorised chairlift.

===The Fox===
This is the main activity to do and by far the easiest and least scary, although it does involve crossing the canyon by bridge then a 20 minute steep trek up a path winding around the edge of the far side of the canyon (which really gets the heart going) until you get to the launch station, then a heart-pounding wait as everyone else in front of you screams their way to oblivion (though fortunately they do come back grinning).

The fox is a huge zip-line which you are harnessed to in a complicated rig to provide streamlining and stop you hitting anything. Then, when released, you "fly" down head first, reaching speeds of up to 100mph as you soar down through the canyon, swooping down close to the water, then up up up again! You can fly by yourself or with one or two friends. We elected to go down as a trio to provide moral support and reassurances to one another.

We were rigged up into the complicated harness which encased our bodies like a coccoon to keep our legs out of the way. Once we were winched up to launch position, only our heads and arms were free. We donned goggles, linked arms as instructed, then as they were taking us through what was going to happen, they sneakily released us when we were least expecting it and away we went hurtling downwards! This proved to be like going on a very fast rollercoaster ride - stupendous fun and very exhilarating but actually quite tame as these things go. We felt a little bit bored as we waited for the ride to stop and for the pulley to drag us (backwards) back up the cliff to the station at the top.

I felt very happy (which was the adrenaline talking) at this point but a little bit let down, so I asked about the other options. They recommended the swing to me as being a lot scarier than the fox. Since I was hundreds of feet above the bridge at this point, the bridge looked very low, so I figured "How bad can it be?" and decided to have a go.

===The Swing===
How bad can it be, indeed? Answer: Very, and then some.

I bravely strode out onto the bridge (quaking inside, but determined not to show it), got harnessed up in a contraption that went around my waist and legs and acts like a minimalist seat), my harness was attached to the swing ropes which in turn were was attached to the launch apparatus and then I was swung out over the side of the platform so that I was suspended by my harness in a seated position floating in mid air above the canyon. At this point, I was ready to go, but just had to wait for my photographer (who was being lowered into the canyon on the chair) to be ready to take pictures. I waved cheerily at the video camera above me that was recording my every move for posterity. Then, when they asked me if I was ready to go, I heartily lied through my teeth and said that I was. Then one yank from the operator, and I was falling.

All I had had to go on were that there were some ropes that led over to a pivot many tens of metres away. I could see from the fact that there was a fair bit of slack in the ropes that I'd fall a bit and then do a giant Tarzan-like swing through the canyon.

What I didn't know was that "a bit" was "50m". Now I'm sure you can imagine what 50m of freefall looks like, I hadn't seen it in action before I went on, so I (naively) thought that the rope would catch my weight almost immediately. Ho ho ho.

What actually happened was that there was more slack in the ropes than I had initially seen, so they visibly fell loosely away from me and I went plummeting downwards with the ropes falling away from me. I had time enough to think "OH NO, I'M NOT ATTACHED" before realising this wasn't very likely and discovering that PHEW, I was attached after all. Then *whoosh* through the canyon (missing the side by what felt like inches) forwards and backwards like a pendulum, before coming to a rest and being hauled back up again.

Then back to the centre to collect my certificate and buy a video of the experience. It's on youtube - search for AdventuresInNZ and you'll find my "bold" exploits as I try to pretend that I'm brave.

===In conclusion===
In conclusion, these sports are fantastic fun and really make a holiday complete. But don't underestimate just how scary they are. Similarly, though, don't underestimate what you are capable of - have a go if you can bear to - if I can do it then so can you! I'd like to pretend that I'd have another go next time I go back, but instead, I'll bravely say "Nah, I've done that before, time to try something new".

Cross-posted elswhere

The Christchurch tramway is a 2.5km long tourist tramway that loops around the city centre of Christchurch in New Zealand. Although vintage trams are used, this is not a historical remnant (the tram networked stopped being used in the 1950s), but were reinstated as a tourist attraction in 1995.

Each tram has its own quirks and features, and each driver tells you different interesting stories about the places you are going around. We thought that some of the stories may have had fictional elements added to them - the drivers were all charming and eccentric. Some of the trams are a little more rickety than others, though I found that they were comfortable enough inside for short distances. With these being vintage trams, accessibility isn't great - wheelchair access to the trams is available, though not from every station, and you get the driver to help you with pushchairs.

You buy a ticket that lasts for 2 days (current cost NZD15, about £7) and hop on and off at one of the 11 stops. The trams take about 25 minutes to go around the whole circuit. The number of trams on the circuit at one time goes down outside of peak times, but it's usually every 8-12 minutes or so, so we found that we didn't need to plan too carefully, but just kept an eye out for how far away the next tram was (you can often see them in the distance some time before they get there). Sadly, as this is a tourist attraction and not public transport, they do not run very late or very early (9am-6pm in winter).

It's more of a fun activity to do in itself than a sensible method of getting around the city centre - I found that the centre of Christchurch was so small that once I'd seen everything once, I got a bit bored with the tram and it was generally quicker just to walk places rather than use the tram as transport. So a ticket that lasted two days wasn't much use to me - I just wanted to go once around the loop and the ticket is quite expensive for that. But they do have some special tickets that combine a tram ticket with entrance to other attractions - if you are going to lots in this area, this might make it more affordable.

In the evening, they run a restaurant tram, which goes round and round the loop over a period of 2h or so as it serves dinner. We didn't do this as with the exchange rates it was very pricey (about £30-50 per person!), but even though the catering facilities are not large (they don't have a range for children), they do have vegetarian, gluten free and dairy free options.

The tram station is a shopping mall that was re-engineered to take the tram route through it. So this tram actually goes through a building! There are sliding glass doors at the entrance to the building to keep the draughts out when the trams are not around. The tram is supposed to wait for a traffic light to say it is time to go, but when I was on it, they went a bit too late and the tram crashed into the closing doors and pulled them off! Fortunately, nobody was hurt and we all got an excellent story for our postcards "I was on a tram. It crashed into a building!"

In summary, this is a fun tourist attraction and if you can afford it and like rickety vintage vehicles, it's worth a go as a tourist attraction, but don't bother using it as your main method of transport.

Arrowtown is a very small town of about 2000 people in South New Zealand about 21 miles from the much larger Queenstown. It used to be a mining town 150 years ago, but the gold ran out many years ago and now tourism is the new source of gold for the town. Unusually for this area (which is now mainly famous for much more modern extreme sports industry), the town has a historic feel to it, with some very picturesque buildings.

When we passed through en route to Queenstown, we were amazed that such a small town could have such a large and varied shopping street. One shop in particular made the visit entirely worthwhile - a chocolatier called Patagonia Chocolates. They have some unusual (and extremely strong) flavours to pick from - our two favourites were the ginger and the chilli flavours - though be warned that these stronger flavours aren't for the faint of heart! A unique selling point for this shop is that you can watch chocolate being made. It's not cheap - you get about 3 pieces of chocolate totalling 100g for about £4-5 under current exchange rates, but as an occasional special treat, it's well worth it. When we asked, it turned out that the 70% cocoa chocolates were vegan although not suitable for people who have allergies to nuts dairy or gluten.

There is also a retro sweet shop in the town called the Remarkable Sweet shop (it is indeed remarkable, but "The Remarkables" is also a nearby range of mountains), with a wide range of old-fashioned sweets sold in big jars. Do try the liquorice and the sherbert lemons if you go here!

The town is surrounded to the North and the East by mountain ridges. This makes it very convenient for the nearby Coronet Peak ski fields in winter. This ski-field also doubles up as the main take-off point for paragliding all year round, with a backup paragliding launch point of Crown Terrace on the other side of Arrowtown. This backup site is lower, but has the advantage that the wind is more consistent, so you won't end up with highly embarrassing (but funny) videos of you crashing and falling down a hill on take-off (which is what happened to me on Coronet Peak). You get fantastic views of Arrowtown from up in the air - do try the paragliding if you are nearby. The area around Arrowtown has some excellent trails for hikers, with a mixture of distances and difficulties to suit a range of abilities.

Another attraction for Lord of the Rings fans that was also used in the filming of Lord of the Rings. Sadly, though, the most recognisable location was in the reserve near there and was best accessed by helicopter, which we didn't have time for on our trip.

As this is a big tourist area, there are lots of hotels nearby. I can't recommend anywhere firsthand though, because we were staying in neighbouring Queenstown. Arrowtown was a lot more peaceful though, so I plan on staying there when I go back next time.

In conclusion, Arrowtown is a quaint little place. It's much quieter than nearby Queenstown, which is quite garish in comparison. It provides an excellent base for outdoor pursuits and adrenaline sports and plenty of shopping to keep you entertained.

Te Papa Tongarewa museum ("Te Papa" or "Our Place" for short) is New Zealand's national museum and is right in the heart of Wellington next to the docks. If you only have time to visit one thing in Wellington, visit Te Papa. Many of the collections are online, so if you can't make it all the way to New Zealand, then have a look at the web pages instead. Originally dating from 1992 (or 1998 for the present incarnation in its iconic building), this is a modern museum suitable for children and adults alike and the exhibits are fun and often interactive, whilst still being educational.

Most of the exhibitions are free, but you pay if you want to go on a guided tour. Lifts going to every floor help with accessibility and are useful for everyone - the museum goes up to floor level 7, so we were quite worn out by the end of our trip!

The building hosts a mixture of permanent and temporary exhibitions, various cafes and shops (including a shop ostensibly for children but which, to my delight, also contains a lot of Lord of the Rings merchandise) and two flight simulators. Late night opening is Thursday (until 9pm) - other days it is 9am- 6pm.

The name "Te Papa Tongarewa" is Maori and, according to our guide, a short translation of the name meant "container of treasures", but apparently, this is only a part of the full name, which was much more complicated and related to the Maori people's respect for the Earth Mother and for their homeland. As with the rest of New Zealand, the museum is bilingual in English and Maori. Many of the exhibits relate to the rich history of the country and of its people. The other main theme of the exhibits relate to New Zealand's extremely high level of geological activity (it has many earthquakes).

I've been to Te Papa twice - once in November 2006 and once in April 2009, and so can recommend firsthand that it is worth going again even if you've already been - there were quite a lot of new exhibits that weren't there the previous time that I went. The most exciting of these new exhibitions was the colossal squid - it's worth going to see this alone. You get to see the preserved squid itself, as well as learning about its origin, how it came to be caught and how it was preserved. They have a fun film of it in a 3-D theatre adjacent to the exhibit.

My favourite bits that I would recommend that you look at are: the tarmac-fossilised possum (a bit gruesome, but children will love it!), the earthquake simulator, the Moa skeletons (extinct birds that had no wing bones at all!) and the basement display of the building's earthquake-proof foundations.

In conclusion, this is an excellent museum to go to, even for people who don't usually like museums. The downsides are that you can't take pictures of the exhibits and that it is so big you can't possibly see it all in one go and can spend ages looking for particular exhibitions.

Cross posted elsewhere

Waitomo caves is a small village a couple of hours drive south of Auckland in the Waitomo region of New Zealand that is home to a system of caves that are world famous for their glow worms.

There are many tours of the caves, with some more adventurous and energetic than others, ranging from sedate boat tours to the blackwater rafting trip we went on: I went on the Rap, Raft and Rock tour, and it was distinctly towards the more energetic end of the spectrum.

We were collected from our hostel and driven over many bumpy roads to a shack in the middle of nowhere that housed all of the gear. We put on wetsuits and helmets, some highly fashionable wet suit protectors (baggy shorts) and wellington boots with holes drilled in the bottom to let the water out.

A quick explanation of how to abseil followed, then the terrifying descent into the abyss. One at a time, we stepped nervously off backwards over a 27m gorge and were lowered down into the cave system below. Although the entrance was very small, the entrance cave was immense, eerily lit and with vegetation obscuring most of the entrance.

We were issued with rubber rings and took a trek upstream into the darkness with our way lit by our head torches. We quickly got extremely soggy and realised the merits of the holes in the wellies as our boots were soon completely filled. Some way later, we were instructed to switch our lights off and wait in the darkness for our eyes to adjust. As they did, a myriad of pin point green-white lights shimmered above us like stars - the glow worms. Gentle breezes shifted them, so they appeared to twinkle and move.

Our guide explained to us that glow worms are the larval stage of a species of gnat. They stick to the roof of the cave and lower sticky threads to catch their prey and which they lure to them with their light. Eventually, they mature and the adult flies away - usually to be caught by the threads of a neighbour!

After this spectacular view came the really fun part. We sat in the rings and floated back downstream and into the rougher waters beyond the entrance to the cave. We climbed down waterfalls, bashed our heads repeatedly on rocks, squeezed through tight holes and sat and had hot tea. More glow worms, lots of caving exploration and more rafting followed.

Wearily, we hauled our way back upstream, then one at a time rock-climbed out of the gorge. This is easier said than done when you are wearing poorly-fitting wellington boots. This marked the end of our journey. All in all, our adventures lasted several hours and we were extremely happy to have a hot shower at the end of it.

This is a fantastic experience and if you have the chance and you are fit and adventurous enough, you should definitely try it. If it is a little bit too much, try a more sedate tour because the glow worms are worth it.

With the exchange rate at the time, this cost us about 40-50 pounds, which was well worth it.

Also posted elsewhere