Puzzling World is located just outside of Wanaka. Opening in 1973 with initially only a wooden maze, it slowly grew until becoming an award-winning museum with displays of optical illusions, crazy puzzle rooms, and a 3D maze, which seems to have been the first of its kind in the world. The Leaning Tower of Wanaka is the most famous part…
I wished we had stayed a few more days in Hokitika. We got on the road near lunchtime. The distance from Hokitika to Wanaka is 418 km. The trip, including decent breaks, is possible in 7 1/2 hrs. We didn’t make the trip at this time as we did stop a lot. There is just too much to see. We…
Continuing on Highway 6 from Greymouth, we arrived in Hokitika just before noon. We stayed at Mountain Jade Backpackers in a private room for my mom, daughter and I. Only a week before, the weather was chaotic with heavy rainfall caused a huge slip in the area, leaving hundreds of people stranded. The road between Hokitika and Wanaka was closed…
After a few days in Nelson, our plan was to continue to Greymouth stopping in Murchison, Westport, Punakaiki and finally Greymouth. A road trip can be very exciting but it can drain your energy when you fit in many activities in a short period of time. It is important to rest and be fit enough to drive. Make sure to…
It was a long drive. By the time we arrived in Nelson, it was getting dark. We stayed 3 nights at the Tudor Lodge Motel. The room was very spacious with a great kitchen. I love the fact that in New Zealand most hotels and motels have all the facilities and kitchen supplies needed to cook a meal. Upon our…
The Interislander ferry trip from Wellington to Picton. Is it worth it? From Picton we hired a car with the intention to stay in Blenheim, but drove to Nelson. Read about the options you have and our experience on this ferry.
We had a couple of days to settle into NZ time after arrival, trying to adjust to the new time zone. When going through 4 time zones or more one expects to feel the effects of jet lag. I always do. New Zealand time is GMT + 12 hours. According to researchers the brain and body are able to adapt to…
