New Zealand December 2011 - InterContinental Wellington

***This post is part 13 of a full trip report. The index can be found here*** 

We checked in at the InterContinental Wellington after taking a quick five-minute taxi ride from the ferry terminal. I had booked two rooms using Priority Club's cash and points redemption (20,000 points + $60 per room). Although we were only staying for one night, we decided to make the most of our time at the hotel since our anticipated tour of Wellington was scuttled by the foul weather outside.

The lobby, while not grand by any means, was beautifully adorned with Christmas decorations, including a nice gingerbread house. There was also a bar/lounge area near the entrance with plenty of comfortable chairs to relax in.

New Zealand December 2011 - InterIslander Ferry And Wellington

***This post is part 12 of a full trip report. The index can be found here***  

After a quick one-night stay in Picton, we arrived the next morning at the InterIslander ferry terminal for our three-hour boat ride across the Cook Strait. Much like an airport terminal, there was a check-in counter, baggage drop-off, and gate area (otherwise known as a gangway for ships).

It was also very convenient that several of the larger car rental companies had offices inside the terminal, so all we had to do was leave our rental car in the parking lot and drop the keys off at the Apex counter. We also could have paid a little extra and just ferried our rental car across the strait, but we figured we really didn't need a car for our one-night stay in Wellington anyway.

New Zealand December 2011 - Abel Tasman Kayaking And Hiking

***This post is part 11 of a full trip report. The index can be found here*** 

We had done some research prior to arriving at Abel Tasman National Park, and we knew that only a few tour companies offered kayaking inside the Tonga Island Marine Reserve. This is the area where you would most likely find fur seals, blue penguins, and other marine animals. Ultimately, we decided to go with the Sea Kayak Company because one of their tours fit exactly what we were looking for: half day of guided kayaking and half day of independent hiking. Although their price was a little steep at 190 NZD per person (especially since half the tour consisted of hiking on our own).

Marahau Beach at low tide

Unfortunately, the weather gods were not on our side that day, as a cloudy morning soon gave way to pouring rain by noon. The boat launch area at Marahau was beautiful nonetheless, as low tide at the beach made for some stunning and surreal scenery. The water in the bay recedes hundreds of meters out to sea during this time, and many boats remain on their side to dry until the ocean slowly creeps back in hours later. Also due to the low tide, all boats must be launched by tractors, which back up into the water until they are literally halfway submerged before finally releasing the hitch. Needless to say, this is my first time experiencing a boat launch by tractor!

After finally reaching the water, our boat quickly made its way north to Onetahuti Beach, where we disembarked and prepared for the kayak tour. By this time, the rain was starting to come down hard. Luckily the Sea Kayak Company provided us with nice dry jackets and dry bags to hold our valuables. After a quick lesson in steering and paddling, as well as safety instructions, we were on our way towards Tonga Island.

Kayaks and Tonga Island

New Zealand December 2011 - Road Trip Up The West Coast Of The South Island

***This post is part 10 of a full trip report. The index can be found here*** 

After arriving back in Queenstown from Milford Sound, we picked up our rental car from Apex and began our three-day road trip up the West Coast of the South Island. Driving is an ideal way to take in the beauty of New Zealand, as it allows for more freedom in deciding the length of time to stay at each location. The only set plans we had for our three days on the road were seeing the Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers, visiting Paparoa National Park, and hiking and kayaking in Abel Tasman National Park.

New Zealand December 2011 - Exploring Milford Sound

***This post is part 9 of a full trip report. The index can be found here***

Milford Sound is one of the most popular tourist destinations in New Zealand, yet ironically, there are very few facilities nearby for overnight guests. There are only two hotels (the Mitre Peak Lodge and the Milford Lodge), one small supermarket, and one restaurant in the entire area.

Plane spotting at the Milford Sound Airport

We completed the Milford Track on Christmas Day, which was a great way to celebrate. Unfortunately, that also meant everything in Milford Sound was shutting down early... leaving us with nothing to eat besides what was left from the hike. We were extremely lucky that the only restaurant in town, the Blue Duck Cafe, was still open when we arrived around 3:00 pm. Naturally, after four days of eating nothing but freeze-dried food and trail mix bars, we gorged ourselves on whatever we could order!

The Milford Lodge is the nicer of the two hotels in town. It has a wide range of rooms available, from shared dormitories to the newer standalone chalets right next to the Cleddau River. We decided to splurge a little and book one night in a chalet, which was a great idea after four long days of backpacking. I can't even begin to describe how amazing that first shower felt! While expensive (around $250/night), it was definitely worth it just for the extra privacy and convenience of an ensuite bathroom and mini-kitchen. The rooms were very modern and comfortable, and the floor-to-ceiling windows afforded some fantastic views of the scenery outside. Note that the lodge is actually a 10-minute walk from Milford Sound though, so you can't actually see the famous landmark.

Chalets next to the Cleddau River

New Zealand December 2011 - The Milford Track

***This post is part 8 of a full trip report. The index can be found here***

The Milford Track is one of the most well-known hikes (or tramps, as they would say in New Zealand) in the world. As such, several regulations have been put in place to ensure that the trail remains pristine. During the summer peak season of October through April, access is highly regulated. A maximum of 90 hikers (40 independent, 50 guided) are allowed to start the trail each day, only in the northward direction.

Absolutely no camping is allowed anywhere on the Milford Track, so there are three huts along the route to house independent hikers (guided groups stay at private lodges with better amenities). They are the Clinton Hut, Mintaro Hut, and Dumpling Hut. Each hut has basic facilities that include bunk areas, restrooms (flush toilets but no showers), and gas cookers, but hikers must carry in all of their own food and cooking equipment.

Whether you are going independently or with a guide, booking your reservation in advance is absolutely essential as spots fill up quickly, especially during the holiday season. We made our reservations on the Department of Conservation website exactly six months in advance on the day they became available, and even then, we had to move our schedule back one day because space was already gone. During the winter season, the trail and huts are not maintained and it can be extremely dangerous to do the hike. You can read more about winter hiking here.

Throughout our four days on the trail, we didn't experience a single drop of rain, which is highly unusual. Since the Milford Track cuts through temperate rain forest, there is typically heavy precipitation at least two out of every three days. Every ranger at the huts mentioned how rare it was to see such clear, sunny weather for more than two consecutive days. We were indeed very lucky, as I had read many horror stories online about how wet the Milford Track can get, with flooding and helicopter evacuations a real possibility.

The hike starts off with an easy first day. After disembarking the ferry at Glade Wharf, a quick 2.2 mile walk leads to the Clinton Hut. Be sure to do the side trip around the wetland board walk, as the scenery there is rather sublime. There is a bit of free time that evening, so exploring the nearby swimming hole or going on a night hike to see the small patch of glow worms are all good options.

Wetland board walk

Clinton Hut

New Zealand December 2011 - Exploring Queenstown And Getting To The Milford Track

***This post is part 7 of a full trip report. The index can be found here***  

Getting into Queenstown from the airport is very easy with the Connectabus service. It costs only 6 NZD and runs every 15 minutes directly into the downtown area. Once there, it is walkable to most of the main tourist sights, although there are also many hotels and backpackers lodges on the outskirts of the city where a taxi might be needed.

We had booked two double rooms at the Aspen Lodge Backpackers, which is about a five-minute walk from the center of town. The setup was very basic, but at the very least our units had a shared private bathroom. The lodge also has dormitory-style rooms with bunk beds and community bathrooms. The Aspen Lodge Backpackers was perfectly comfortable for our one-night stay, and I was especially happy with the high-pressure shower and plentiful hot water.

Aspen Lodge Backpackers

New Zealand December 2011 - Exploring Auckland

***This post is part 5 of a full trip report. The index can be found here*** 

Getting into central Auckland was fairly easy with Airbus, the public bus that runs every 10 minutes from both the international and domestic terminals with limited stops. The charge is 16 NZD one-way, but that's actually quite a bargain since it can be a good 45-minute ride into town. Taxis can run up to 100 NZD!

Based on TripAdvisor reviews, I had booked a two-bedroom suite at the Celestion Waldorf Apartments Hotel. I was traveling with three other people, and that made it a little harder to find a decently priced hotel that wasn't also a dump. Surprisingly, all the Waldorf hotels in town are very reasonably priced, yet also modern and comfortable. We ended up paying only $128 per night split among four people! The best part about the hotel was its walkable location to Queen Street as well as the bustling harbor area. There was also a very convenient grocery store only a few blocks away. The only negative thing about the hotel was the complete lack of WiFi, and they charged for internet usage on the one computer in the lobby as well.

Celestion Waldorf Apartments Hotel

Lobby

Living room and kitchen

For some reason, we got the "accessible" unit

New Zealand December 2011 - Introduction

***This post is part 1 of a full trip report. The index can be found here***

I've written a couple of posts (here and here) about my adventures in booking award tickets to and from New Zealand, so I won't bother recapping how nerve-wracking it was to not see any award space available as the departure date quickly approached. Luckily, my patience (and ExpertFlyer) paid off and I was able to snag Air New Zealand Business Premier seats on both the outbound and inbound flights. Booking was easy using my OnePass miles, and one of the best things about the Continental website is that it not only displays most partner award seat availability, but you can also book your complete itinerary online without having to pay the $25 phone fee.

In total, I used 135,000 OnePass miles plus $51.38 in taxes and fees. This saved me quite a bit of money, since the cheapest tickets to Auckland during the Christmas holiday hovered around $1,300 minimum for the six months or so I kept track of prices, and the direct Air New Zealand tickets never dropped below $1,800 - in economy! For domestic New Zealand flights, one of the best advice I came across online was to book Air New Zealand tickets through the New Zealand portal (http://www.airnewzealand.co.nz/) instead of United States portal (http://www.airnewzealand.com/home). Prices for the exact same flights were sometimes hundreds of dollars cheaper on the New Zealand website, and anyone could book the tickets without proof of NZ citizenship.

Planning for the itinerary began in May 2011, when a few old college friends and I all agreed on New Zealand as the destination, and more specifically, on doing the independent Milford Track hike. It's extremely important to book your space on the New Zealand Department Of Conservation website as early as possible (up to six months in advance) during the summer season because only a maximum of 40 independent hikers are allowed on the track per day. No camping is allowed at all, so everyone must stay in the three designated huts along the route. I will go into more detail regarding the huts in the Milford Track installment of this trip report. Doing the Milford Track independently is not cheap, as we each paid approximately $315.00 USD for the four-day hike, although that did include boat and bus transport before and after. If you go with a guided tour however (up to 50 people allowed per day split among different outfitters), expect to pay upwards of $1,800!

We decided early on that we wanted to focus more on the South Island since many of the famous national parks are located there. Due to time constraints, we couldn't see everything we wanted, but ultimately, we were able to fit in a three-day road trip up the west coast of the South Island, hitting Westland, Paparoa, and Abel Tasman National Parks. We ended the drive in Picton, where we took the InterIslander Ferry across the Cook Strait to Wellington, and from there, flew back to the States via Auckland.

For accommodations, we booked mainly backpackers lodges since this wasn't really a luxury-type trip, but we did have a few "splurge moments" such as our night at the beautiful Milford Sound Lodge chalet, and our last night in New Zealand at the InterContinental Wellington. It struck a good balance where we could minimize our cost, yet also have a few nights of real comfort.

Overall, this was probably the most tiring vacation I've ever been on; at least it's the most hiking I've ever done on a trip! But it was more than worth it in the end, as the scenary in New Zealand was absolutely stunning. I was telling my friend that the entire country is so beautiful that you almost become desensitized to it... "oh there's another open green field with snow-capped mountains in the background and grazing sheep", "oh there's another perfectly clear river winding its way past a lush forest", "oh there's another expanse of sandy beach framed by wind-swept rocks"... you get the idea ;)  Hopefully some of that beauty will translate over in the pictures I post throughout this trip report!

New Zealand December 2011 Trip Report

I returned from my two week vacation in New Zealand on December 31, 2011, and after decompressing for a few days, I'm finally ready to start writing the trip report. Unlike my epic Tokyo/Vietnam trip report from summer of last year, I think what I'll do this time around is focus more on the highlights instead of detailing every single hotel and city. I believe it's more applicable here anyways since much of this trip involved backpacking, hiking, and driving.

So without further ado, here is my two week adventure through New Zealand. Suggestions and comments are always welcome and much appreciated!

• Introduction
• United Airlines 274 First Class (SFO → LAX)
• Air New Zealand LAX Koru Club Lounge
• Air New Zealand 5 Business Premier (LAX → AKL)
• Exploring Auckland
• Air New Zealand 619 Economy Class (AKL → ZQN)
• Exploring Queenstown And Getting To The Milford Track
• The Milford Track
• Exploring Milford Sound
• Road Trip Up The West Coast Of The South Island
• Abel Tasman Kayaking And Hiking
• InterIslander Ferry And Wellington
• InterContinental Wellington
• Air New Zealand 418 Economy Class (WLG → AKL)
• Air New Zealand AKL Koru Club Lounge
• Air New Zealand 8 Business Premier (AKL → SFO)

Prepping For New Zealand

I'll be leaving for New Zealand tonight and spending the next two weeks backpacking and roadtripping through the South Island with a few of my old college friends. I'm probably most excited about our 4-day hike on the Milford Track, ending at the world-famous Milford Sound. Well... that, and the fact that I'm flying business class both ways on Air New Zealand! Expect a full trip report with plenty of pictures once I return. Although, judging from my last big trip report, it may take a few months for me to actually complete ;)  Hopefully I'll be able to check in once or twice while I'm in New Zealand.

Happy holidays everyone!

Adventures In Award Bookings - New Zealand

As I mentioned in a previous post about a month ago, I have been waiting for an award seat to open up for Auckland, New Zealand for the past 6 months. I had done plenty of research online, so I was both cautiously optimistic about my prospects, yet also very worried that nothing was going to show up before my scheduled departure - which is during the peak holiday season. Even worse, my entire group of travel buddies had already booked their flights way back in June. We had also booked hotels, rental cars, a 4-day backpacking trip through Milford Sound, and virtually every other aspect of our 2-week itinerary. I know I probably should have just bit the bullet and booked some sort of refundable fare as a backup, but to be honest, I didn't have that kind of money to throw around.

So I waited... and I waited some more. I signed up for ExpertFlyer in August, religiously checking my email every few hours hoping that a notification would pop up saying that an award seat had opened up. Finally, in late September, I was alerted to one business class seat for the return leg AKL to SFO. I was ecstatic since this was my ideal direct flight, and in lie-flat business no less! Still, by late October, nothing had opened up at all for the flight to Auckland. I set up ExpertFlyer alerts for virtually every known routing, including all direct flights out of SFO and LAX on Air New Zealand and Qantas, as well as some lesser known routes on Air Tahiti Nui through Papeete and Hawaiian Air/Air New Zealand through Honolulu. I also called the American Airlines award desk incessantly to check Air Pacific availability through Nadi, Fiji. Finally, I added Qantas routes via Sydney, Brisbane, and Melbourne.

The closest I got was when one business award seat opened up on Air New Zealand from Honolulu to Auckland. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any saver awards open in either business or economy into Honolulu from the West Coast, and I wasn't willing to book a separate standard award - yet.

My patience paid off, however, when finally, a couple days ago, a business award seat opened up on Air New Zealand from LAX to AKL! In addition, there was availability from SFO to LAX as well in domestic first class on United Airlines. I literally jumped out of bed when I saw the email alert and immediately logged onto the Continental website to book my award flight. Continental remains one of the very few domestic airlines that displays partner award seats on their website, and also allows you to book directly online, saving you the $25 phone fee.

So for those of you looking to book tickets to New Zealand from the West Coast at the absolute peak holiday season, have hope that with enough patience (and a membership to ExpertFlyer), you may just be able to snag a business class award seat. In fact, after I booked my LAX-AKL ticket, I noticed that another business seat opened up about two day later on the same flight. And after that one was gone, yet another seat opened up a day later. That one is gone now as well, and I haven't seen any more availability since then, unfortunately.

In any case, I am absolutely relieved that this ticket-booking ordeal has finally come to an end. New Zealand here I come! :)

Slightly Worried...

A few old college friends and I have been planning an extensive 2-week New Zealand trip for this upcoming December, and I'm really excited about it. I'm most looking forward to backpacking for four days on the Milford Track, especially since we had to reserve our spots way back in July! It is supposedly one of the most beautiful trails in the world, and just looking at some of the pictures online has made the anticipation almost unbearable. We are also visiting Auckland, Queenstown, Franz Josef Glacier, Paparoa National Park, Abel Tasman National Park, and Wellington. All the hotels have been booked and everything is set.

Unfortunately, there's just one final detail missing... I don't have my plane ticket to New Zealand yet! And even worse, we are traveling during peak Christmas period. So here's the explanation: way back in June/July when we started planning this trip, the cheapest roundtrip tickets for LAX-AKL were running around $1400, which, while reasonable, was still a little steep for me. I had a bunch of United, Continental, and American Airlines miles, so I decided to wait to see if any award seats would open up on Air New Zealand or Qantas. I did my research and signed up for an ExpertFlyer account for award seat notifications, and for the next few months, I waited.

In late September, I finally received an email notifying me that an Air New Zealand business class seat was available for AKL-SFO non-stop... and I immediately jumped at the opportunity. I figured an open award seat for SFO/LAX-AKL shouldn't be too far behind, so I waited... and I waited some more. And now, a month later, I'm starting to sweat bullets at the prospect that perhaps not a single seat will open up for the dates I need (despite setting up alerts for 2 consecutive days for all seating classes available on 8 different flights).

So I'm not exactly sure what I should do at this point. While I'm still holding out hope that one seat in any class will open up within the next month and a half, I'm also really starting to realize that I need some sort of back-up plan in case that doesn't happen. Decisions decisions... :(