Thread Starter
TS
Kea birds. Looking forward to seeing some of them in action, hopefully not chewing on our rental van.....
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International (Europe/Japan/Southern Hemisphere) New Zealand 2019 Trip Report
- Thread starter Mattadvproject
- Start date
Kea birds. Looking forward to seeing some of them in action, hopefully not chewing on our rental van.....
Thread Starter
TS
The Kea bird. I believe these are present at a lot of the clubfields. Looking forward to seeing them!
- Matt
- Matt
They are smart birds. Apparently they are about as smart as monkeys. Look for keas wherever people regularly congregate outside for lunch. You'll often see keas swoop in at lunchtime to get the food scraps.
Keas are great and you should see some. There were lots at Porters a couple of seasons ago that would surf along the tables. But don't leave clothing, boots, loose stuff outside the van and definitely don't leave any windows open.
Last year the roading authority had to make a gym for kea after they caght them having fun directing traffic with road cones.
@Mattadvproject stock up in Christchurch, Church Corner is pretty convenient, not Darfield. There is no supermarket at Darfield, only a 4 square I think which will have a much more limited range of food.
Last year the roading authority had to make a gym for kea after they caght them having fun directing traffic with road cones.
@Mattadvproject stock up in Christchurch, Church Corner is pretty convenient, not Darfield. There is no supermarket at Darfield, only a 4 square I think which will have a much more limited range of food.
Sounds like an amazing trip, you're well prepared, researched and arriving at the right time. Hope the snow gods deliver. Put lots of pics up will follow keenly. Good luck, go well.
You may have seen this already as part of your research. Big gnarly lines at Temple Basin. Quite old but great skiing.
Thread Starter
TS
Thanks for sharing this one Stacks. I do have quite a few clubfield vids saved to my Youtube channel, but not this one, so fun to watch it, thanks again. A lot of the trips I put together are based around the quality of snow, lack of crowds and then the terrain. I think the clubfields tour should put us into some of the steeper terrain and I'm really looking forward to skiing some genuine steeps again. That video from Temple Basin does show some great terrain and I'd be up for getting into some of that. I'd say my hucking days are over, but I do like some genuine steeps and having to pull out a jump turn or two. That would be really fun! Now we just need the snow gods to start doing their thing again..... Just over a month to go!
- Matt
wish I could say there was a time in my life when I was hucking big air, but alas no.....
Many years ago my girlfriend and I spent 6 months bicycle touring all over NZ. We would often stop and undertake multi-day backpack trips (we were carrying extra gear knowing we would be doing lots of backpack trips). During one such outing in the area around Mt. Cook, we planned to spend a night in the Ball Glacier shelter. Not long after arriving, a rather loud periodic noise began emanating from the tin roof of the small shelter. I went outside to investigate and discovered that two keas were taking turns picking up rocks and flying low over the shelter and dropping them on the roof. This went on and on for what seemed like forever. It was illegal to throw any objects at keas or do any harm to them back then (I’m sure that’s still true today) but we were a long way from anyone else and I eventually became fed up with their game. However, the very moment I reached down for a projectile they changed course and flew just out of range, landed, and watched me patiently. No doubt I wasn’t the first person to grow tired of their shenanigans but they were very wise to any and all of my movements, so scaring them off was fruitless. The aerial bombardment finally ended at nightfall.
On another occasion, we cycled up to the Franz Josef Glacier without all of our gear to explore the area. At the trailhead were a couple of other touring bikes locked up minus any gear. A couple of keas had gone to work on the brake and shifter cable housings, the hoods on the brake levers, and the saddles, inflicting significant damage. We retreated a good couple of kilometers from the trailhead and locked our bikes in a secluded and vegetated area and hoped keas wouldn’t find them (they didn’t) and walked back to the trailhead from that spot to begin our hike. By that time they'd moved on to the windscreen wipers of a recently arrived car and were shredding them to bits.
We also saw them at mountain huts along the Kepler Track, the Routeburn Track, the Greenstone Track, and a few other tramps we did hanging out on the outdoor decks waiting for handouts or opportunities to pinch food or personal belongings. They are very, very clever birds!
On another occasion, we cycled up to the Franz Josef Glacier without all of our gear to explore the area. At the trailhead were a couple of other touring bikes locked up minus any gear. A couple of keas had gone to work on the brake and shifter cable housings, the hoods on the brake levers, and the saddles, inflicting significant damage. We retreated a good couple of kilometers from the trailhead and locked our bikes in a secluded and vegetated area and hoped keas wouldn’t find them (they didn’t) and walked back to the trailhead from that spot to begin our hike. By that time they'd moved on to the windscreen wipers of a recently arrived car and were shredding them to bits.
We also saw them at mountain huts along the Kepler Track, the Routeburn Track, the Greenstone Track, and a few other tramps we did hanging out on the outdoor decks waiting for handouts or opportunities to pinch food or personal belongings. They are very, very clever birds!
Thread Starter
TS
Nice stories, thanks for sharing @Daniel , looking forward to meeting these pesky birds in a non-confrontational way myself! If there isn't any more snow soon, then this trip is going to become a bird-watching trip..... I heard the weather was going to change this month, so fingers crossed.
- Matt
Thread Starter
TS
Fingers crossed @Stacks ! Long range forecast on Meteoblue also showing signs of a lot of moisture about to hit - https://www.meteoblue.com/en/weather/14-days/craigieburn-range_new-zealand_2192042. Hopefully it stays cold and this is the real season starter for the clubfields!!
- Matt
Thread Starter
TS
Time for NZ!
Heading off today. Flying from Denver to San Francisco, then it's 13 hours to Auckland. I have a couple of hours in Auckland and then I head to Christchurch. I leave at 3:45pm today from Denver and arrive local time at 11:45am on the 20th. Time for some serious time travel. I have 2 nights in Christchurch to get over the jet-lag and then we head to Flock Hill Station on the 22nd. Skiing on the 23rd.
Thankfully the snow is getting better. After an initial big dump of around 50cm's about 1.5 months ago, there's been no major snowfalls. It finally started snowing a few days ago and conditions have improved greatly. It's about to snow again and most of the clubfields (only Porters has been open) hope that this will be the storm to get everything open. I'll be taking the rock hoppers just in case. Hopefully there's another storm shaping for the weekend after next. I'll start the regular posts after this, from NZ. Wish me luck!
- Matt
Heading off today. Flying from Denver to San Francisco, then it's 13 hours to Auckland. I have a couple of hours in Auckland and then I head to Christchurch. I leave at 3:45pm today from Denver and arrive local time at 11:45am on the 20th. Time for some serious time travel. I have 2 nights in Christchurch to get over the jet-lag and then we head to Flock Hill Station on the 22nd. Skiing on the 23rd.
Thankfully the snow is getting better. After an initial big dump of around 50cm's about 1.5 months ago, there's been no major snowfalls. It finally started snowing a few days ago and conditions have improved greatly. It's about to snow again and most of the clubfields (only Porters has been open) hope that this will be the storm to get everything open. I'll be taking the rock hoppers just in case. Hopefully there's another storm shaping for the weekend after next. I'll start the regular posts after this, from NZ. Wish me luck!
- Matt
Good luck!
Unusual front swirling and sneaking in from the sou'east tonight and tomorrow looks promising for the Canterbury fields. The Met office is predicting big numbers (unlikely) but could be good timing.
https://www.metservice.com/skifields/broken-river
https://www.metservice.com/skifields/broken-river
Thread Starter
TS
18th – 20th July Travel to NZ
This turned into quite the adventure. I was flying from Denver to San Francisco, then to Auckland and then finally to Christchurch. The weather in Denver on the 18th was fine, but the aircraft coming to Denver and then taking us to San Francisco was delayed. No worries, I had 5.5 hours in San Francisco as a buffer before taking the flight to Auckland. My original flight was supposed to leave at 3:40pm but it kept getting pushed back. After 3 delays, it was scheduled to leave at 7:30pm, that was cutting it fine for my flight to Auckland which was scheduled to depart at 11:10pm (boarding at 10:10pm).
I tried to go to United customer service but the office was unmanned and their kiosk only recognized my flight as a whole to Christchurch and I couldn’t change the first flight. Grrr! So I was stuck unless I could find another option myself as United weren’t going to automatically change my flight. I saw on departures that there was a 5:10pm flight so I could try for that one. I went past another United customer service center and it was swamped, so I went to the other end of the terminal and went to the gate to ask there.
The agent there said he would try and get me on the flight, but it was full and there were 11 people ahead of me on standby, so he wasn’t hopeful. It was 4:30pm and I didn’t fancy my chances, so I saw another customer service center and this one was manned and not too busy, so I headed over to it. I thought they might be able to get me on the 7:10pm flight. Any later than that, then I was going to be spending the night in SF and going the next day.
The agent told me I was on standby for the 5:10pm flight and I told them yes, but it was a full flight and I was 12th on the list. She didn’t say anything and kept tapping away on her computer. A couple of minute’s later she said I was on the flight and I needed to run back to the gate straight away. Thankfully it wasn’t far and I was ticketed. The person checking the tickets told me I had to check one of my carryon bags but she said I would be able to pick it up in SF. No worries. I just grabbed my headphones from it. I then headed down to the plane and handed my bag to the guy at the door.
Just in case I asked him where the bag would be sent and he said all the way to Christchurch. Oh no, that was different to what the lady at the gate told me. He wouldn’t give me any time to go through my bag and get out more necessary gear so I had to hand it to him. It was then that I realized that there was a lot of gear in there that I would need for my international flight (glasses, contact lens solution and toiletries, all my cash and some meds). I saw the bag was still stuck at the top of the conveyer belt but the attendant wouldn’t let me take the bag back. He said once it’s on the belt, that was it. For security reasons no one could touch it. It was right there and only he and I could have touched it. I understand the rules, but It was really frustrating! I was not stoked. I had to let the bag go.
One of the airline hostesses did chat with me on the plane and told me I might be able to put in a request to have the bag taken off the plane in SF. There was hope then. The flight was full but uneventful. When I got to SF I was told to go to another customer service center and they put in a request for the bag to be sent down to the baggage claim. It could take 1 to 2 hours. No worries, I had enough time so I could live with that. I also found out that the original flight I was supposed to take from Denver was cancelled, so I made the right call to take matters into my own hands and get on a different flight.
After an hour, I went downstairs and headed to carousel 3. There was a baggage service center there and I spoke to the lady there. Worryingly when she looked up my bag tag, she couldn’t find a record of the bag being pulled off the next flight, so she had to submit another request. She said it could take 30 minutes to 2 hours, for the bag to come. This was going to be close to boarding time at 10:10pm. It was a nervous wait but thankfully after 30 minutes, the carousel started up and my bag dropped down. Major relief! I was really happy and gave the baggage service center lady a hug. Cheers!
Then I had to go back upstairs and go through security, to get to the gate. Thankfully I still had time to get some dinner and have a welcome victory beer. It would be smoother sailing from here….. A long story I know, but a first time for me being in a situation like that. I can only imagine what would have happened if I’d left my passport in that checked carry-on. I would have been in big trouble! So that’s what happens if you have problems with a gate-checked carryon getting sent all the way to the destination. I certainly learned from it…. Hope it helps somebody else.
The flight to Auckland was fine. It was a full flight, I slept on and off for most of it and we arrived in Auckland as scheduled. All my bags had arrived (wasn’t sure if they would as I thought they might still have been on that cancelled DEN – SF flight) so I was really happy about that. Then you have to take your bags and after you clear customs, you can take your bags to drop off. You are still in the international terminal by this stage.
Then you can either walk or take the quick shuttle bus to get to the domestic terminal. I took the bus. Then you go through security and up to your gate. I had some time to kill so had a quick bite for breakfast. The flight to Christchurch was pretty quick at just over an hour. The flight was only half-full so I had a row of seats to myself. It was cloudy and raining down below but as we neared Christchurch I did manage to see some snow-capped peaks jutting through the clouds. That was a nice sight.
I had organized a ride with Super Shuttle and they were waiting for me outside. It was $22NZD to take me into the city straight to my hotel (Hotel 115 in downtown). The service was great (the driver helped me carry my bags across the road into the reception) and the price very reasonable. I can definitely recommend their services. I checked in and then began the fight to stay awake. My friend Eric was arriving that afternoon and around 6pm, we met up at an Indian restaurant about 0.5km’s away (Himalayas Restaurant) and the food was excellent. Then finally I could get my head down and I slept like a log.
Beautiful cloud formations when we left Auckland
Happy to see snow-capped mountains peaking to the clouds, as we approached Christchurch
Feeling a little more at home, seeing the mountains
Christchurch airport looking a little grey, but I was happy to be out of the 100 degree weather back in Denver. Time to get out of the shorts though!
The tram passes through the hotel I am staying at in Christchurch (Hotel 115)
You can buy NZ SIM's at Auckland Airport and Christchurch. At Auckland you can buy them when you get off the plane at duty free, so they are a little cheaper. The salespeople were really nice and install the card for you and make sure the SIM is working properly. Very nice of them!
Super Shuttle. $22 from the Christchurch airport to the hotel in the city center (Hotel 115) that I am staying at. The driver even helped carry my bags across the road to reception. Great service, thank you!
- Matt
This turned into quite the adventure. I was flying from Denver to San Francisco, then to Auckland and then finally to Christchurch. The weather in Denver on the 18th was fine, but the aircraft coming to Denver and then taking us to San Francisco was delayed. No worries, I had 5.5 hours in San Francisco as a buffer before taking the flight to Auckland. My original flight was supposed to leave at 3:40pm but it kept getting pushed back. After 3 delays, it was scheduled to leave at 7:30pm, that was cutting it fine for my flight to Auckland which was scheduled to depart at 11:10pm (boarding at 10:10pm).
I tried to go to United customer service but the office was unmanned and their kiosk only recognized my flight as a whole to Christchurch and I couldn’t change the first flight. Grrr! So I was stuck unless I could find another option myself as United weren’t going to automatically change my flight. I saw on departures that there was a 5:10pm flight so I could try for that one. I went past another United customer service center and it was swamped, so I went to the other end of the terminal and went to the gate to ask there.
The agent there said he would try and get me on the flight, but it was full and there were 11 people ahead of me on standby, so he wasn’t hopeful. It was 4:30pm and I didn’t fancy my chances, so I saw another customer service center and this one was manned and not too busy, so I headed over to it. I thought they might be able to get me on the 7:10pm flight. Any later than that, then I was going to be spending the night in SF and going the next day.
The agent told me I was on standby for the 5:10pm flight and I told them yes, but it was a full flight and I was 12th on the list. She didn’t say anything and kept tapping away on her computer. A couple of minute’s later she said I was on the flight and I needed to run back to the gate straight away. Thankfully it wasn’t far and I was ticketed. The person checking the tickets told me I had to check one of my carryon bags but she said I would be able to pick it up in SF. No worries. I just grabbed my headphones from it. I then headed down to the plane and handed my bag to the guy at the door.
Just in case I asked him where the bag would be sent and he said all the way to Christchurch. Oh no, that was different to what the lady at the gate told me. He wouldn’t give me any time to go through my bag and get out more necessary gear so I had to hand it to him. It was then that I realized that there was a lot of gear in there that I would need for my international flight (glasses, contact lens solution and toiletries, all my cash and some meds). I saw the bag was still stuck at the top of the conveyer belt but the attendant wouldn’t let me take the bag back. He said once it’s on the belt, that was it. For security reasons no one could touch it. It was right there and only he and I could have touched it. I understand the rules, but It was really frustrating! I was not stoked. I had to let the bag go.
One of the airline hostesses did chat with me on the plane and told me I might be able to put in a request to have the bag taken off the plane in SF. There was hope then. The flight was full but uneventful. When I got to SF I was told to go to another customer service center and they put in a request for the bag to be sent down to the baggage claim. It could take 1 to 2 hours. No worries, I had enough time so I could live with that. I also found out that the original flight I was supposed to take from Denver was cancelled, so I made the right call to take matters into my own hands and get on a different flight.
After an hour, I went downstairs and headed to carousel 3. There was a baggage service center there and I spoke to the lady there. Worryingly when she looked up my bag tag, she couldn’t find a record of the bag being pulled off the next flight, so she had to submit another request. She said it could take 30 minutes to 2 hours, for the bag to come. This was going to be close to boarding time at 10:10pm. It was a nervous wait but thankfully after 30 minutes, the carousel started up and my bag dropped down. Major relief! I was really happy and gave the baggage service center lady a hug. Cheers!
Then I had to go back upstairs and go through security, to get to the gate. Thankfully I still had time to get some dinner and have a welcome victory beer. It would be smoother sailing from here….. A long story I know, but a first time for me being in a situation like that. I can only imagine what would have happened if I’d left my passport in that checked carry-on. I would have been in big trouble! So that’s what happens if you have problems with a gate-checked carryon getting sent all the way to the destination. I certainly learned from it…. Hope it helps somebody else.
The flight to Auckland was fine. It was a full flight, I slept on and off for most of it and we arrived in Auckland as scheduled. All my bags had arrived (wasn’t sure if they would as I thought they might still have been on that cancelled DEN – SF flight) so I was really happy about that. Then you have to take your bags and after you clear customs, you can take your bags to drop off. You are still in the international terminal by this stage.
Then you can either walk or take the quick shuttle bus to get to the domestic terminal. I took the bus. Then you go through security and up to your gate. I had some time to kill so had a quick bite for breakfast. The flight to Christchurch was pretty quick at just over an hour. The flight was only half-full so I had a row of seats to myself. It was cloudy and raining down below but as we neared Christchurch I did manage to see some snow-capped peaks jutting through the clouds. That was a nice sight.
I had organized a ride with Super Shuttle and they were waiting for me outside. It was $22NZD to take me into the city straight to my hotel (Hotel 115 in downtown). The service was great (the driver helped me carry my bags across the road into the reception) and the price very reasonable. I can definitely recommend their services. I checked in and then began the fight to stay awake. My friend Eric was arriving that afternoon and around 6pm, we met up at an Indian restaurant about 0.5km’s away (Himalayas Restaurant) and the food was excellent. Then finally I could get my head down and I slept like a log.
Beautiful cloud formations when we left Auckland
Happy to see snow-capped mountains peaking to the clouds, as we approached Christchurch
Feeling a little more at home, seeing the mountains
Christchurch airport looking a little grey, but I was happy to be out of the 100 degree weather back in Denver. Time to get out of the shorts though!
The tram passes through the hotel I am staying at in Christchurch (Hotel 115)
You can buy NZ SIM's at Auckland Airport and Christchurch. At Auckland you can buy them when you get off the plane at duty free, so they are a little cheaper. The salespeople were really nice and install the card for you and make sure the SIM is working properly. Very nice of them!
Super Shuttle. $22 from the Christchurch airport to the hotel in the city center (Hotel 115) that I am staying at. The driver even helped carry my bags across the road to reception. Great service, thank you!
- Matt
Last edited:
Nice one Matt. Got any plans for Christchurch? A walk in the Port Hills perhaps?
I see Porters got a sprinkling today.
I see Porters got a sprinkling today.
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