New Zealand: Mt. Cook - Mt. Cook iceberg and glacier

The reason why i skip Lake Tekapo to Mt. Cook trip is because i'm lazy to choose and edit photos in Lake Tekapo, there are like hundred and i don't think i will finished it in one post, probably 2 or 3.

But actually Mt. Cook is part of the Lake Tekapo trip too. I went to Mt. Cook hiking in the next day i reached Lake Tekapo. I have more photo in this trip so i could make it one complete trip post.

I bet you guys probably find this post is boring because there aren't attractive photos yet only foggy mountain photos and river and stuff. And i know you guys would enjoy lively video more than photo. I have video, but i bet you guys don't wanna see me in those video because I WAS SUPER UGLY AND I SWEAR NONSTOP.

Because you know what? HECK RAINING ICE IN SUMMER IS DUPER UNLUCKY! I'm the unlucky one. I cant stop swearing while ices in red bean size dropping / hitting on my body AND FACE!

So, better don't share the video here, although this post will be less fun.

Ok some basic information about Mt. Cook.

Mt. Cook is the highest mountain in New Zealand, 3754 metres. As high as you skydive lo.

Mt. Cook located in between of Twizzel and Lake Tekapo. That is like one hour or 60km +- away from Lake Tekapo.

Don't think Mt. Cook is just an ordinary national park, there is a small village beside Mt. Cook and if you wanna take the long track which spend you like 2 days 1 night on the mountain, you probably want to stay in the village a night before and check for the weather or seek advice in the i-site of Mt. Cook. FYI the weather in NZ changes in a minute. See me la! Who can expect ice raining in the summer! I only wore wind proof jacket and tore jeans.

There are few resorts and backpacker in the village, YHA is there too, but don't expect this is a huge and handy village. Oh yea the i-site is awesome, a mini museum underground and stunning view of Mt. Cook from the glass window in i-site would make you wanna go for the track.

We picked up Adi, a backpacker from Iran on the way to Mt. Cook, she was hitchhiking to Mt. Cook and we decided to go for the track together.

Aston and Adi didn't want to do the long track, so we do the short one, to the end of the glacier and catch some picture of iceberg!

Mt. Cook

Foggy Mountain

Snowing even in summer

Nice view

Cross this bridge and no return

Not that scary, i swing the bridge :D

Just don't look at the river below

Aston and Vivian

The river below the swing bridge

It is from the glacier

This track is not easy at all

We have to stepped on the water and soaked our shoes in almost all the time.

See the camera screen? Started raining.

A tiny house for rest on the left of the photo. Seem close right? It took me an hour to reached there. Hey i'm walking on the river k?!

To show you how danger. Che..

Adi and Aston decided to turn back because ice raining was getting strong, but that time Vivian and Julien were much ahead than us, and i was in the middle of them.

That was a struggle to make decision of turning back or moving forward, we were probably in the half way, but the track is a disaster, especially in such a bad weather.

I decided to move forward and let Aston and Adi wait us in the car. I was regretted for a when i found out the track behind is much difficult than the beginning, i have to walked on the river almost all the time because rain and ice was getting heavy and water was covering the rocky track.

But trust me, its all worth when you reached the end and saw the amazing glacier and iceberg, as you were in the south pole or fairy tale or something like this! So unreal!

Don't look for the photo of iceberg, we were too cold to hold the camera and took photo! Only Vivian was videoing and don't dream i will upload the video, hahahahahahahha.

But scroll down, you will see some photo of iceberg in the second track that done by Vivian and Julien.

There are 2 short tracks that you could do in Mt. Cook. The one i done is like 3 hours return (but we used more time because of bad weather condition), there is another one short, like one hour return, for those who want to have a look on iceberg you can go for the short one, but if you want glacier and iceberg, go for the 3 hours one.

Of course the short one has better track condition, not steep at all and much nearer. So Julien and Vivian went for 2, photos below taken by Vivian or Julien in the 2nd track without me. I was dying in the car that time.

Those i saw in the 1st track is much bigger and flow on a huge river lo. (Copyright under Julien / Vivian)

Very easy track (Copyright under Julien / Vivian)

The 2nd track (Copyright under Julien / Vivian)

If i have more time, i would really go for the long track which take 2 days. Of course with better ready la!

For those who are goin to Lake Tekapo from Queenstown, allocate more time and stop by in Mt. Cook for the track and salmon (in next post)! If you are too lazy to do all track but you wanna see glacier and iceberg, sit in front of your computer and look and search for photo la! Ok alternatively, there is a kayak tour that you can sit on the kayak and go close to the iceberg. Another experience too la.

Stay tuned for yummylicious post in the next!

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

20110224, 0323pm

Rach in hungry mood.

New Zealand: Queenstown - The Town

Ok Queestown!

The most busy town in south island (my ranking).

So I dislike Queenstown.

Well have a night stayed in Queenstown because the nearest immigration department is here and Aston need to got her visa fix.

Alright for those who're ready to go for working holiday in New Zealand, bare in mind when you are entering to New Zealand, REMEMBER show your working holiday visa to the custom officer. Don't assume they've your record and not showing them your visa, or else, they will give you a wrong visa stamp, like Aston got.

Luckily the other day i took out my passport and Aston accidentally saw the stamp of mine is different with hers. Then we called to immigration and check out what visa Aston is holding, finally the custom of NZ gave her a visitor visa which can only granted her 3 months stay and she couldn't get a job with a visitor visa either.

Aston said she didn't show her visa document to the officer because no one bother to ask the purpose of coming to NZ. And Aston assumed her name should be in the record of immigration, just like ETA in Australia, that you don't need to show anything because once they scan your passport they knew you're holding what kind of visa.

This is a BIG WRONG! Just bare in mind show all the document you have when you're entering to NZ, and make sure the stamp for working holiday visa is square in shape with the date you're entering and the date of expired. For visitor visa, there have no date nothing.

The officer told Aston to go to the nearest immigration department before xmas holiday to change her visa, so we decided to stop in Queenstown for a night just to fix her visa problem.

Frankly nothing interested me as long as it is a big and crowed city, but yea this city is small yet handy, you can get almost everything in this city. Shopping, food, drink, club, office, bank, everything in EXPENSIVE PRICE! Especially petrol, heck i got $1.97 per litre in other town yet i paid $2.50 per litre in Queenstown!

So pump a full tank in Invercargill before you heading to Queenstown or Lake Tekapo, so freaking expensive petrol after invercargill and Christchurch toward the middle part of south.

On the way to Queenstown

Quite a nice lake though

I heard some friend told me that's a super big burger in the town. I don't go for shopping (ok i did, i got all the souvenir sekaligus-ness in Queenstown and i delivered them back to Malaysia there. I spent like $200 there. WTF.), so i spent my money in makan.

Ferg Burger the name. In the city centre and always crowed.

There is one in Christchurch though, somewhere near the cable car but i never been there, Aston been there and she said the one in Christchurch is nicer and bigger.

Oh i love the slogan : In Ferg we trust.

WTF. Hahahahaha.

Lotsa people ALL THE TIME!

Not a big shop but nice deco.

The menu, self service like Mc. Donald.

I love the Ferg with middle finger lo! For sell in the shop but darn expensive. Every employee wore this t-shirt in the shop.

I spotted a good looking man, and Aston turned to excited.

So she went close to the bar and captured his photo! Walaueeee...

Photo under Aston copyright.

She said she just wanna see the making of burger la, but i don't think need to capture the man who making the burger gua.

Photo under Aston copyright.

The guy smile to Aston later, and she rushed back to the seat embarrassed lo. Cute <3 div="">

Photo under Aston copyright.

Big burgers indeed.

Its bigger than Aston's face.

And bigger than Julien's boob. LOL.

Not i don't want to post the photo of me and the freaking big burger, just I CANNOT FIND IT! I don't know with whom camera lo. Ju if you have my photo send to me please. :D

I regret i saw the Big Al burger after made the order, that's best selling burger in the shop, and that burger is even bigger! Of course la, more expensive too la, its like $16.50, but trust me, 2 ladies cannot finish lo.

We order Bombay Chicken and FergBurger with cheese, 3 of us full like hell and cant finish the fried. Frankly not extremely delicious but this is famous though. I love Bombay Chicken more although i ordered the FergBurger lo. :D

So after lunch? or hmmm dinner? We went for walk in the lake side, saw a super big and curve rainbow and hell it so beautiful.

This is not the water of some pool, this is the real lake

Nice weather =)

I love this photo in Queenstown the most.

If you have sharp eye you will see the rainbow. If you don't have just kiss your ass :D.

But for your information, chance of seeing a rainbow is as much as the sesame on a bun lo (ok i hungry liao). Sometime i saw 3 times per day and no kidding wei!

Sign.. i miss the heaven liao.. =(

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

2011o216, 0430pm

Rach in another interview in Friday mood.

New Zealand: Lake Te Anau - Maxine & Bob Backpacker's Hostel Review

I was thinking once to come to Lake Te Anau when i first came to south island, for the sake of the beautiful postcard of the lake i saw somewhere in north island.

But i landed and got a job in Motueka first, so i just settled down in Mot.

I admired beautiful lakes, i just love every single lakes in New Zealand, and that's the reason made me overnighted in this tiny little town although this town has absolutely nothing but only lake to visit.

Agree with me after you see those photos below.

Lake Te Anau

I don't give a damn, i just sat in the middle while tourists busy passing by

how peaceful

Love this the most, and its my wallpaper right now.

outside the world

Snap for fun

And i tell you what, that was a cloudy weather that day, i so wanted to take the photo of foggy lake, just like the postcard i saw in somewhere. Well probably in the morning i guess.

So i asked Ju to wake me up in the next morning, i wanna go for the sunrise shooting, but damn Ju cant wake up and i was too tired after long drive, so no foggy photo nor sunrise photo. A little regret but its alright, happy enough to spent an evening by the lake side.

And i tell you what, i'm serious when i say Lake Te Anau is absolutely nothing, yet this is the last town before you head to Milford Sound, if you wanna do the morning tour you should reach day before and overnight in this town, especially for those who want to drive to Milford Sound for the tour.

For your information, insurance company do not insure HW no. 94, which is the highway from Te Anau to Milford Sound, because LOTSA car accident happened in the road, just because the road is simply dangerous and tricky, even I-site officer do not recommend tourist to drive to Milford Sound.

There are plenty of Milford Sound tour company offer buses pick up in Te Anau or Queenstown, just extra few 20+ bucks i guess. So do not take the risk to drive to there, the road is quite occupied by all the buses.

And i do not went to the tour, too last minute to book for the tour, and all the ideal time of the tour were fully booking, well i don't feel much regret though, i saw some photos and wasn't really attract me, i rather spend more time be by the lake side.

There are lotsa of resorts and backpacker hostel in Lake Te Anau, for the tourist to Milford Sound and Te Anau. Luxury resort i cant afford, and i hate big backpacker hostel, i always prefer those small and cozy, so we go round and round just to get Maxine and Bob Backpacker Hostel, a BBH member and its a farm hostel!

I love this backpacker hostels when i first saw in some other blog, love the old couple who running this backpackers, small and cozy, lovely and warm!

Oh yea, i was so busy to prepared dinner that night, i let Aston to took the photos, so photos below under copyright of Aston, no edit, no adjustment.

Pay for your internet and desktop fees, Maxine and Bob places a honestly box beside and they hope everyone appreciate their trust.

Huge kitchen, me like.

comfy dinning area.

The game of the night, guessing the countries of flags that hanging on the wall.

I love this door glass, i love the view.

Clean and nice bathroom cum toilet

Backyard

My red horse

View from the dorm

Every room come with a glass door.

This is my dorm room, my backpack on the floor, my bed on the top corner, and i know i mess, but heck imma a backpacker.

The house of Maxine and Bob. Damn they're rich, they own 2 big bungalow!

Little rock road connect between Maxine and Bob's house and the backpacker's hostel

Just google Maxine and Bob house in Te Anau, and you will get the contact number and address. But i tell you what, you better have a GPS with you when you're looking for the place, damn tricking and we actually lost ourselves in those complicated turns and roads.

This backpacker's hostel wasn't close to the lake and town, its like in the side of the township, on the way to Milford Sound, and you defo cant see this backpacker from the road side, you need to turn in to "bungalow-looked luxury" housing area from the roadside, and this backpacker hostel is inside.

Make your booking if you there in peak season, not lots of rooms and beds, so its comfortable! Free guitar and free strip show! Opps i mean, SHEEP show! Well sit in front of the glass door and looking at the sheep with sunset, this is the scene that i will never forget in my life.

And damn, i miss Maxine and Bob already =(

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

20110212, 0559pm

Rach in goin to gathering mood.