I’m coming to New Zealand!
I started this page for all my internet-friends and real-friends that either live in New Zealand or have already been there. I know we already have many many supporters there, and I’d like to thank you for all the support! Tell your friends… this could be a very fun event!
Photowalk and Talk (all free)- Auckland – Feb 19 – 6 PM Start
My friend Vivian Ho is helping to organize the event on the ground, so but everything sounds pretty simple.
A Photowalk is simply a gathering of all levels of photographers… I’ll have my family with me, and you can bring yours too if you like. We all stroll the streets together, take photos as the sun sets, I will explain what I am doing as I set up for every shot, we can geek out about photography, discuss the sport of it all…. It’s all a pretty laid back event!
- 6pm start – 7:30 end
- meeting in front of “Cin Cin on Quay” (a restaurant), The Ferry Building on Quay and Queen Streets. We will proceed towards the Viaduct.
- 8:15 PM – I will give a talk on photography. We are meeting about 20 minutes north in Albany. The secret location will be provided during the walk. All are welcome!
Photowalk (free) and Talk – Christchurch – March 4
I look forward to meeting y’all!
Photowalk:
- Begins at 6 PM at the Museum/Gardens
- Ends just before 8 PM where the Talk begins (below)
The Photography Talk:
- 8 PM
- The Old Council Chambers in n the central city called Our City I-Tautahi
- in the old brick building on the corner of Oxford Terrace and Worcester Blvd. Upstairs in the chamber.
- Cost is $10 – that goes not to me, but to the individuals organizing the event… and will be for wine and cheese and the venue.
- Limited to 120 people – Bookings please email: Carolyn@urbanshotz.co.nz
Workshop
No workshop this time. I think we will do it another time. It takes a lot of time to plan and execute, and I do not want to “squeeze it in” to my trip — I want to make sure my Kiwi friends have the absolute best experience!
Thanks NZ!
Below is where our newsletter subs come from…Look how hot-red New Zealand is! Thanks y’all!
Questions I have (updated):
3) Let’s say… hmm… for the sake of argument, that I am thinking of MOVING to New Zealand, then:
a) Anyone have great contacts with the gov’t for this?
b) Perhaps a good lawyer that can talk about moving American businesses there, taxes, and all that mess?
c) I need to do a little house-hunting to find: (so any suggestions in this sphere would be helpful!)
- some place near beautiful environs
- incredibly wonderful broadband
- access within 30 minutes to all the basic services of life
- good coffee shops and tasty restaurants
- a fun place to raise a family of 5 adventurers
NOTE: Are your comments getting caught by the spam filter? Please send me an email at tratcliff at gmail.com !
Wonderful news Trey! Count me in for the photowalk and workshop … so long as they’re in Auckland! Where to go and what to see? Whoa! Where to start?!? Depends where you’ll be staying, the length of time you have and the amount of money you want to spend!
There are so many people that go to New Zealand that spend way too much time in the North Island and when they get to the south feel cheated, the north islan is beautiful, but the mainland has a different pace. So, given I am from the mainland this is were i would advise you to concentrate your lens. Marlborough sounds, Moraki boulders, dunedin’s railway station and courts, head towards queenstown, there are several gold rush towns, of course milford sound is a must, if you have a spare few days hike the routeburn or milford tracks. Mount cook, even though the top fell off several years ago its still huge, Mckenzie country and the shephards church over looking the most amazing aqua colored lake you will ever see.
the west coast has pancake rocks, Franz Joseph Glasier. Do all this and your memory cards will be at thier fullest even in between. You might want to take your family with you, as many who venture to the true downunder dont wish to return to thier own homeland.
I have a couple of secret locations, ill email you
When will you be there Trey? Hopefully it will coincide with my visit back home to NZ!
Thanks all!
I am thinkin’ about February — probably will be there for a good 3 weeks or so!
I spent about 30 days in NZ in March/April 2004. I rented a small 2 person camper van. Very convenient to get around (after you get used to drive on the left side). You would need about 2-3 weeks on the south island and 1-2 weeks on the north. Most impressive parts were the Tongariro Crossing, the Glowworm caves, Moeraki Boulders, Wanaka area.
Did I mention weather? Be prepared for rain; can go on for days.
Cheers! and have fun!
February eh? Good choice. Kids should be back at school which may make things a bit quieter for you as your tour around. The weather should be pretty good too … apart from the odd tropical cyclone
I vote for the Glow Worm Caves! Oh! You should see if you could possibly view the few remaining Kakapo Parrots – the ONLY flightless parrot in the world.
Hi Trey, That’s great news. I hope I get to meet you as you inspired me to get back into photography.
I might be able to help with relocating as I did this myself (and am now a NZ citizen). Also I have a business and house. In fact, where I live would be an ideal place for you to move to (just cool the idea of Trey being my neighbor, but bear with me
I live 45 mins south of Auckland, only 30 mins from the airport (let me know if you need picking up…). My house has a fiber link that I just benchmarked at 37Mb/s locally and 3.3mb/s to the USA –
http://www.flickr.com/photos/beautox/2938148408/
You’ll be amazed at the real estate prices here. For the price of a house in the USA you could literally buy a farm here. Or at least 10 acres plus a house (plenty of room for those kids). Even a slice of kiwi bush.
Anyway, hope you enjoy your holiday here, best wishes, bob
Trey,
I am such a fan!! Don’t want to boast but my company Dive! Tutukaka might just be the most award winning tourism company in New ZEaland; and we will do anything to assist you, directly or indirectly. It just so happens that the destination we service (Poor Knights Islands)has the most mind blowing scenery above the water, under the water and in the World’s Largest Sea Cave. But apart from that we offer any assistance at all with planning, connections, support, accomodation, etc.
Just drop me a note.
I am SO thrilled you are coming!!!
And, PS; Look at my other website – malcolmpacific.com
one great place is to go to a beach out of motueka near nelson called kaiterrterr sorry cant spell they have a national park you go by small ferry and get dropped off in the park and walk back along beautiful beaches about two or three day trip or can arrange to have ferry pick you up been a long time since i left nz for minnesota enjoy allan
That is great news! I am sure you will have a great time there. My boyfriend is also from Texas and is adamant that he is going to move there one day after we have stopped traveling everywhere else.
I think 2 weeks in the South Island and 1 in the North is probably a good way to go. One recommendation I have to make is to not miss the West Coast beaches around Auckland. You will most likely fly into there so it would be a great place to start. Some of the most beautiful beaches in the world are there, particularly Bethels Beach, Piha (can get kind of crowded in the summer though), and Murawai is also amazing as it has crazy seas/skies and a gannet colony.
Also Milford Sounds is something worth not missing, went there last year for the first time and I stand by that it is the most beautiful place in the world.
Good luck with your trip!! Can’t wait to see the photos! Terri
If You can fit in a workshop I would be a starter. I can show You some of the sights in middle of the North Island like the bridle veil falls and the volcanic activity around the hot spots. Bill
Awesome to hear your coming down under Trey!
Super excited, I’d be very keen to come along to a workshop, don’t know what I can do as far as organising stuff tho. Perhaps I can :S
Internet wise, I havn’t seen any campers with satellite links around, so I wouldn’t bank on that. You can get the net through the mobile networks (http://www.vodafone.co.nz/mobile-broadband/choose-a-device.jsp or http://www.telecom.co.nz/mobile/mobilebroadband) however I must add NZ has reportedly some of the highest mobile access fee’s in the developed world – so that’s a serious downside.
Regarding wireless hot spots, again there has been a bit of a poor adoption of them nationwide. As far as I know the frequency drops as you get further south (and the scenery gets better). Telecom has a network of hotspots that use a common account (http://www.telecom.co.nz/binarys/telecom_wireless_hotspots_20070822.pdf), otherwise you’ll find they all operate separately and thus you’ll end up with a hundred different accounts – not ideal.
As far as what to see while your here… It’s impossible to narrow it down. The far north is very nice. All down the west coast is ruggedly beautiful. The southern alps and Fiordlands are breathtaking. Not to mention everything in between having its own charm and beauty. If you picked up a camper in Auckland, drove to the north tip in a day, then spent a week traveling south in the north island then maybe 9days going down the west coast of the south island, then 5day coming back up the east that could be a good way to see the most. But I suspect other people would have different approaches…
Hope I’ve helped
Happy planning!
Bad news Trey:
you’d better stay (much) longer down there, because you will love this country. I’ve been there for 6 weeks in 2007 and I still missed so many awesome places. Here are a few places I really enjoyed:
Southern Island:
The Banks Peninsula (near Christchurch), especially the small village Akaroa -> awesome nature.
Kaikoura -> not for the whalewatching, but for the landscape.
Lake Tekapo and Lake Pukaki -> that’s where the helitours to Mt. Cook start
Milford and/or Doubtful Sound -> I better liked the second.
Lake Matheson (you have to be there before sunset).
Abel Tasman national park -> the best places you only reach by boat.
Northern Island:
The volcanos Ngauruhoe, Tongariro und Ruapehu -> an amazing landscape.
The thermal centres around Rotorua (Wai-o-tapu and Waimangu) -> it smells awful there but it looks good ;-]
(Forget about the Te Puia thermal centre direcly in Rotorua, that’s tourist-crap)
The Hundertwasser toilet in Kawakawa -> very curious.
Some more things:
Don’t bring your insect repellent from home with you – it will NOT work (but hurt)
If possible, stay some nights at a real sheep farm.
Don’t forget your best rain-gear (You’ll definitely need it)
Drive left ;-]
cu.matmaxx
Wow Trey, excellent!!! you will really love it!
i agree with Kiwi, spend as little time in the north island as possible, yes it’s great, but not much different from what you already see. The South Island (“the mainland”) is what will really blow your mind. If you go to Milford Sound make sure you stay the night instead of day tripping, the evening is so much quieter and the light is magic. Te Anau and Manapouri also very cool if you have the time. Queenstown is spectacular, but touristy, Wanaka is a lovely alternative.
Don’t miss the West Coast (of the South ie) whatever you do. Again I would recommend an overnight somewhere around Franz Josef so you can not only see glaciers, but also the wonders like the Kahikitea trees over ancient lakes and the beauty of Okarito. All of these places have great National Park headquarters/info places with great guides/maps etc to help you. Reefton also is a hidden gem, and the beaches north of Greymouth heading for the pancake rocks (Punakaiki) are amazing, covered in big round river pebbles.
Agree with Able Tasman and Kaiteriteri if you have time. You can head that way from the coast via Reefton, the Mariua and Murchison, which are very very scenic.
I’m a mainlander too, but living in Fiji at the moment. Happy to answer any questions you have at all, and if you stop over here we’ll take you out for a shoot/photo walk too!!
So pleased you are coming to New Zealand! Yes – count me in to a workshop.
As a biased South Islander I agree that is where the scenery is at. However, we would love to host you to a special part of the North Island at the Hobbiton Movie Set. Great opportunities to get some great images of arguably one of the best film locations in the world. Have a look at http://www.hobbitontours.com and you will see the diversity of the landscape here.
On a personal note if you would like to see some of the Lord of the Rings Locations I am happy to help. You can see more at http://www.ianbrodie.net
So pleased you are coming here!!
Ian Brodie
This is all incredible feedback! So fun to get all this inside info – I am putting together an itinerary right now and will do my best to see the best stuff and schedule some time for, at the very least, a photowalk!
WARNING: MEGA COMMENT (also emailed incase it’s cut off)
wow. I’m now kicking myself I’m in the UK, not in NZ (where I’m from). As this is so long, I’ll email it to you too.
BTW, all prices in NZD unless otherwise stated
$1 NZD == about 70c USD.
Camper and internet: depends how badly you want to be online all the time. Get a prepaid USB modem thing from Vodafone or Telecom. You may even be able to rent them in the airport (or a phone with a datacable or bluetooth). Keep in mind that casual mobile data in NZ is STUPIDLY expensive. Expect to pay $1 for the first 10MB a day, and $1/meg after that. If you pre-pay, it’s a lot cheaper tho.
We have 2 mobile carriers – telecom nz, and vodafone. Both are about the same (yes, there is 2degrees, but thats EDGE only…. SLOW). Their speed and coverage are mostly the same.
I really can’t fault this: http://www.vodafone.co.nz/shop/mobileInternetDetails.jsp?skuId=sku5850074&:selectionKey=internet
Telecom do something similar: http://store.telecom.co.nz/mobile/prepaid/mobilebroadband/telecom-mf626 at the same price even
Theirs is per calendar month or when it runs out – VF is until it runs out. If you are only there in Feb, you should be ok with either.
$100 for the USB stick, and you get 0.5 GB of traffic with it, and another 0.5GB is $30, which is REALLY good for NZ. Thats about the best deal I’ve seen for a long time. Get someone who’s over there (hello other posters here) to get it for you before you get there – should be much easier than finding a shop, tho as it’s prepaid, they dont care about ID etc (maybe just take your passport with you to be sure). Might even be able to find someone to buy it off you when you are done (I would, for my parents, but as I said, I’m in the UK)
That said, most places around the country have either an internet cafe, or a cafe with wifi (difference: internet cafe == computers only. Cafe with WIFI == food, but also has wifi). Most starbucks do, and they blight the landscape like anywhere else in the world, and a lot share with the likes of Boingo. McDonalds is often a good one too. Maybe take a small WIFI router (eg Apple Airport Express) – a lot of internet cafe’s may let you just plug it into their network and still pay by the hour or whatever. Saves you having to use their machines.
Cafenet (www.cafenet.co.nz) is a good start. They have pretty good coverage over a lot of the north island. Wellington has far better wifi options than Auckland…. but it’s not hard to find an internet cafe pretty much ANYWHERE.
I usually manage on WIFI when I go home (iphone roaming from the UK: £10/meg!!). Works everywhere but my parents place – they still have dialup!
Campervan Rentals are not hard to find – look for Maui, Britz etc. They all do pick up from the airport, or are based there etc. Paying the extra to pick up in auckland, and drop off in Christchurch (or the other way around) might be a good idea. Saves you having to drive back up the country, and taking a car on the ferry between islands is about as much (maybe more) than a one way flight from CHCH to AKL – air new zealand have them for about $80pp at the moment.
I think that covers 1a and 1b
2) If I spend 3 weeks there, I’ve heard I should spend 2 of those on the South Island. Any vehement disagreement?
No. Not from me. We did 6 weeks around the coast (all of it) of the North Island before we came here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/leoniewise/sets/72157601972017457/
Here’s my “wish list” if I was doing 3 weeks, assuming you start in Auckland, and then go south, and fly out of christchurch, and you are focusing more on photos and the country, rather than on seeing the tourist sites (tho some of that too):
Auckland: hit Rangitoto (the big volcanic island in Auckland Harbour, day trip) and the West Coast beaches (Piha, Bethals, Karekare). I’m _sure_ a local would take you there, tho they are not hard to find if not.
Here’s why: http://www.flickr.com/photos/leoniewise/2861184596/in/set-72157607310556912/ (this is Piha, about 45 mins from central auckland, the others are close by)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nicwise/2873468607/in/set-72157607401913345/ (Karekare, where the movie The Piano was filmed)
Go north of Auckland for a few days – esp Bay of Islands and Cape Reinga, eg: http://www.flickr.com/photos/leoniewise/1363010273/in/set-72157601972017457/ . Doing the sand boarding there is fantastic, esp for the kids. It’s hard work walking up the big dunes tho!
Maybe go to Coromandel (the whole peninsular, not just the town), then down thru Tauranga, and to Rotorua if you want some NZ “culture” and hot mud pools. Actually, I’d recommend it – it’s good if you want to get a feeling for Maori culture, at least kinda how it was before the white folks got there.
From there, I’m going to suggest something that 90% of NZ’ers would not suggest, because chances are they have not been there: Go to Lake Waikaremoana.
http://maps.google.co.nz/?ie=UTF8&ll=-38.764792,177.100983&spn=0.42778,0.85762&z=11
It’s a rough road (well, it’s not sealed, just gravel, but you don’t need a 4WD by any means – we have taken a campervan there often, just drive a little careful), and about a 3 hour drive from Rotorua, one way. This whole area is a national park, and covered – and I mean _covered_ – in native bush. Basically, it’s my favourite place on the planet, without exception. These might tell you why:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/leoniewise/1364437193/in/set-72157601972017457/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/leoniewise/1365423246/in/set-72157601972017457/
Both were taken on top of Panikiri Bluff, which is at the south east end of the lake (where it says Onepoto on the map), about 1 hour walk, all up hill, on the around the lake track. Totally worth it. There is also a DoC (dept of conversation) camping ground there, with showers, cooking etc. Might be an idea to book first tho. I’d spend 2-3 days here if you can. Do some of the shorter walks, eg to Lake Waikareiti.
Side note: there is nothing (aside from people of course) which can kill or really hurt you – no bears, no mountain lions, no snakes, no (big) sharks in the water, almost no ticks etc. OK, so there is one spider, but it’s an endangered species, and very very very rare (the Katipo). If you find it, tell the Dept of Conservation. I’ve only ever seen one. Chances are, even if you get bitten (sooooooo unlikely, even if you manage to find one! they are not at all aggressive), it’ll just be like a nasty bee sting, and easily treated. So kids wandering around where-ever in the bush is fine. Now, the weather is another thing, esp in the bush: it can be sunny one minute, and tanking down the next. Or snowing. I’ve had a few white Chirstmases in NZ in the mountains (keep in mind christmas is summer in NZ!). Be prepared, tho in February, it should be around 25degC most of the time. Also: SPF 30 sunscreen is a requirement, not an option, in summer. I can go without sunscreen in the US (Wisconsin) or the UK all year around, except for my bald head. In NZ: 20 mins and I’m baked. Hats and sunscreen. Rinse, Repeat.
From there, head down to Wellington via Napier (lots of Art Deco architecture), or maybe go from Napier to Taupo (which is in the middle of the island), and travel down to Wellington via the central plateau, which has the three main mountains in the north island in it. Including Mt Doom (Mt Ngaruhoe)
I’d avoid the glowworm caves unless you want to specifically see glow worms or go caving. They are good, but not that good.
And now the south island.
You will start at Picton, ‘cos thats where the ferry comes in. BTW, book the ferry before you get there. Or get the campervan place to do it for you. Or even drop the camper off in Wellington, go on the ferry, and get another one on the other side. The camper company should be able to assist you.
I’d suggest, not in any order except it’s north-to-south:
Farewell Spit. Furthest north (west) point on the south island. (http://maps.google.co.nz/?ie=UTF8&ll=-40.695217,172.988663&spn=0.415966,0.85762&z=11) but also all of Golden Bay. My 2nd favourite place in the country. Book an early morning tour onto the spit if you can. Hit the Mussel Inn for a pint of Cider
The beaches there are lovely, too.
The west coast. All of it. Especially Gentle Annie Beach: http://www.gentleannie.co.nz/ (camping place there is great – has internet, but I’m not sure about powered sites). If you go up there, go to Millerton and Stockton – both are abandoned coal mining towns, about 30 mins south of Gentle Annie.
Think about cris-crossing the island. eg go picton -> golden bay -> westport -> greymouth -> thru Arthurs Pass to Christchurch (or close to it), then back over to the west coast via Lake Tekapo and Lake Pukaki, Wanaka, and Queenstown. If in Queenstown, drive up the lake to Glenorchy.
Head from there over to Te Anau and up to Milford Sound. I’ve only managed to get there once, but I usually go in winter, and there are a lot of avalanches there. It’s fine in summer.
Depending on how much money you want to spend, around that area (Te Anau/Queenstown/Milford Sound), a helicopter could get you to places that, literally, no one has set foot on, or deeper into the back country. The scenery will, I hope, blow you away. It does it for me. For example, in Fox Glacier (a few years ago), you could get a helicopter trip up around Mt Cook & surrounds, with a land on a glacier – well worth the expense!!!
From there, you could go as far south as Stewart Island, but I’ve not been there (yet), so I can’t tell you what it’s like. Lots of Kiwi there tho (the bird, not the people (kiwis) or the fruit (kiwifruit, _not_ ever “kiwi”))
I’d recommend coming back via the Catlins Forest Park, which is at the south east corner of the island, then Dunedin and back to Christchurch to fly out, either international or back to Auckland and out to the US. You could drive back to Auckland, or maybe even fly out of Queenstown too. Given your timeframe, flying back up is a better option.
Not sure how long this would take you, as we can spend 6 weeks just doing the north island, but if you did all of it in 2 weeks, I dont think you’d be too rushed (some do it in 1). You’d be moving a lot, but not just driving. If you can do 4 weeks, do 4 weeks – it’s a long trip from the US! But 3 should be ok too. 1 or 2 is definitely not enough.
As for moving to NZ:
Have a look on http://www.immigration.govt.nz/ – should give you a start. It’s quite easy to come to NZ, I think, if you have either cash (and are starting a business), or qualifications (eg a graduate degree). Even easier if you have a job waiting. Not sure about if you are self employed.
A friend of mine, Brian Radke, did this, and did a DVD on how to do it: http://www.nzimmigrationdvd.com/. Sadly, on so many levels, he went back to the US when his wife died… but I think the DVD is still for sale.
Moving a business? Just close the old US one down and start an NZ one. It’s easy – find a good accountant (email me if you want – ours is brilliant, and has worked with overseas people in the past – she’s from South Africa, and based in Auckland), and it’ll be setup in a day or 2. Stuck In Customs (NZ) Ltd sounds good
For (c), I’d go with Wellington, tho I’m biased, ‘cos that’s home for us now, tho I’m from Auckland originally. It’s a major city by NZ standards (around 500K people, tho the main city is only around 150K – Auckland is 1.2mil). It’s beautiful, not too big, no broadband issues (cable, even, which is rare in NZ, and some fibre in the middle of town). It’s right in the centre of the country, so you can get anywhere easily – Auckland is 1 hour flight / 8 hours drive, and thats right in the north, and the south island is 40 mins flight (christchurch) or less, or a 3 hour ferry if you want to take a car (can hire them too). Nelson might be another option, which is top of the south island, tho I prefer a larger city.
On the internet side, NZ has data caps for everything. A normal internet connection (eg cable) might be 40GB a month (you pay $3/GB over that), for around $60. So, compared to the really unlimited plans in the US, it’s kinda constrained, but I think, over all, it’s a better way to do it.
West coast of Auckland is also a good option, I think. Keep in mind that anywhere in the North Island, you are no more than 3 hours from either a fairly large town/city, or the coast. Or both. The south island is a little more remote in places, but still – even “small towns” like Greymouth or Westport have everything on your list. I dont know if I’d live there – too much rain in winter, not enough IT work for me – but 30 mins outside of either one, working from home…..
New Zealand public schools are generally of a high quality, so your kids should be sorted.
Good coffee in New Zealand isn’t hard to find, esp in the larger cities. Be prepared for Espresso, not filter/drip. Also keep in mind I’m a coffee snob.
In New Zealand, the coast is only ever about half a day away, as is the snow. There are two main ski areas – (1) central plateau, north island (mt doom), (2) around queenstown, south island. There are other small ones, though they tend to be for locals only, or those who are used to skiing off piste.
One of the contributors to the Unofficial Apple Weblog (tuaw.com) – I think his name is Chris Rawson (http://www.tuaw.com/bloggers/chris-rawson/) – recently moved from the USA to NZ so he may also have some advice.
Ah – that Meg – she’s so biased as a Mainlander! (Lucky I know her, although I most likely will still cop some grief for taking her on!)
However, she’s mostly right – the South Island is the place to go – although Northland does have its really lovely spots, (and you can take up Malcolm’s dive offer – The Poor Knights diving is like no other experience) and Hawke’s Bay is also lovely. The middle of the North Island around the desert road is pretty bleak, but yields some great photos at either side of daylight with the 3 mountains – although this is best in winter.
As luck would have it, I’m most likely going to be back in NZ in Feb, so please keep us updated on where and when you’ll be there and if you’re going to arrange some meet-ups – preferably one in Auckland! ;.)
Regarding moving to New Zealand – as awesome as that would be if you’re still looking to travel the world and photograph many diverse countries NZ is probably one of the worst countries to base yourself in – unless you don’t mind the exorbitant airline prices (well, exorbitant isn’t the right word as we literally are in the middle of the ocean, so the prices are pretty fair).
I work for a travel agency so if you’re interesting in knowing more I may be able to point you in the right direction at least.
Regarding your other questions:
- Motor Homes: Maui are a good starting point, they have a number of motorhomes across the spectrum (http://www.maui.co.nz/new-zealand-motorhome-rental), however from what I can tell none of them are satellite-equipped.
With regards to communication on the road, the major centres of New Zealand are covered with 3G signal, so if your phone is unlocked and takes a SIM card, just bring it over, purchase a prepaid SIM card on Vodafone’s network and chuck it in – data is pretty expensive so I’d suggest turning off images and downloading just the ones you want to see. There’s some movement in Wellington and Palmerston North to blanket the city in free Wifi (I’m not terribly up with the play anymore but it’s called ‘The Free Net Aotearoa’ and used to use Meraki equipment – not sure how out of date this network map is: http://p7.meraki.com/network/aotearoa).
If you’re looking for a decent mobile phone that can tether to a laptop, I can recommend the Sony Ericsson W910i, it was my workhorse for a couple of years and can share internet to a PC over Bluetooth or USB (can’t pickup wifi, but your laptop should anyway). However, I’m not sure if it can connect to a Macbook, nor if the software exists on the Mac platform sorry.
As in America, most of the major Starbucks outlets have free wifi if you buy their products (by major I mean the places where you can sit and relax, not the mobile ‘coffee on the go’-type places). There’s a bit more of a move for other cafés to offer this as well, but it’s not like San Francisco yet!
Agreed with spending 2 weeks in the South Island – it’s a lot less populous than the North Island and there’s more of it, Fiordland especially is well worth the trek (way down in the lower left of the South Island) – don’t forget decent rain jackets though!
With regards to house-hunting, Wellington is a great (albeit windy) city, has a lot of charm and character, lovely bush walks and so on around it and no matter where you are, you’re never more than 30 minutes from the rest of the city. However unless you get really lucky, nowhere in the country will give you the kind of broadband you’re probably used to at the moment – our national infrastructure is fine (so loading other NZ websites is no problem) but we’re so massively oversubscribed for international bandwidth that sometimes it can feel we’re a little backward – Youtube videos don’t play smoothly, that sort of deal. Most of the time though, it’s acceptable, if a tad annoying.
Hope that helps! If you have any other queries don’t hesitate to email
Hope you and your family have had a wonderful Christmas and continue to have a fantastic New Year – hope to see you soon!
Cheers,
Matt.
Hey Michelle! Kiwi agrees with me! and others LOL….
Also agree that Ian Brodie’s lord of the rings location guide is worth a look. Nomad Safaris out of Queenstown can take you to many of those places…. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Queenstown/Nomad-Safaris/43538390747
Some of the McCafe’s (in McDonalds) have wifi considerably cheaper than the Starbucks which did charge for it even with coffee last time I was there (Dunedin is the example I’m going by here).
OK I will buckle and say Rotorua’s thermal areas (like wai-o-tapu) are pretty cool.
2) If I spend 3 weeks there, I’ve heard I should spend 2 of those on the South Island. Any vehement disagreement?
Completely agree.
When i went to New Zealand 2 years ago to this date, I was only 12 at the time, but that’s what really got me into photography. I would really like to go back with a camera & lens better than a tiny compact camera right now.
I’m sure you can find lots of places to go in the south island – queenstown, lake tekapo, lake pukaki, milford sound, etc etc.
In the North Island i can only recommend one thing to do – The Tongariro Crossing. “Mathieu” already mentioned this. It’s something that you won’t regret to do at all.
You start quite early, around 6am, and it’s a walk which is about 18km long, although the terrain is quite difficult in places. The hardest bit is near the beginning – The Devils Staircase – however, when i was there they were building a walkway so it may be easier now.
The rest of the walk goes across volcanoes (literally about 2 metres from the edge), and across huge lakes, mineral lakes, deep forests.
it’s just incredible, if you did it, i couldn’t wait to see the results
here’s the main website on it:
http://www.tongarirocrossing.org.nz/
I highly recommend you visit Queenstown on the South Island. It’s breathtakingly beautiful, and there’s so much to see and do. If you can swing it, charter a flight with Over the Top Helicopter (based at the airport). They’ll fly you around the mountains, and set you down on glaciers if you so desire. My husband and I were even treated to a champagne picnic lunch in a completely remote area. It’s a fantastic experience.
It’s probably one of the most photographed spots in NZ, but I also suggest a trip down to Milford Sound in Fjordland. Even in the rain (it’s one of the wettest spots on Earth), that place is magical. Just be sure to keep a close eye on your equipment, or the keas might get it!
Most importantly… can I come?
Meg – I wasn’t disagreeing with you either! But, as an adopted Kiwi, I can be impartial and see the beauty on both the main islands! We’ll discuss this over a drink one day! LOL
Lots of others have commented on this, lots of good ideas there.
Allan Mumm was thinking of Kaiteriteri, and the Abel Tasman walk.
If you don’t do the whole thing, then at least think about driving in, to the Awaroa Lodge. Great restaurant and cafe, accomodation too. Well off the beaten track.
Some I haven’t seen mentioned yet:
I’d love to see the Waitemata Harbour at dawn/dusk given the Stuck In Customs treatment.
The Bay of Islands
The East Cape – driving around from Tauranga to Napier the long way. (Indeed, if you were going to plan a route from Auckland, you could do worse than Tauranga, Rotorua, Whakatane, Gisborne, Napier, Taupo, the volcanic plateau, then you can choose to keep heading South to Wellington or detour West to Taranaki first. It’d be a shame to pass up seeing the insanely beautiful bush on Egmont/Taranaki.
thousands of acres of vineyards across the rolling hills of Marlborough
Any of a million mountain streams
Majestic stands of Beech Forest with the sun streaming through
Podocarp rainforest covered in moss – lots of options
BTW: when travelling along the West Coast, just out of Westport is Cape Foulwind, and just south of there is Tauranga Bay (no relation to the North Island Taurangas) where, well off the beaten track, is The Bay House restaurant – and it is worth a visit. It’s a good idea to book. If you hadn’t already been to the Awaroa Lodge, you would think it is the most bizarrely located restaurant you could imagine.
The Christchurch Arts Centre (the original University in the heart of the city)
The coastline around The Catlins – Nugget Point, Papatowai, Cannibal Bay, Surat Bay…
The Maniototo
Lindis Pass
In February there isn’t going to be a lot of snow caps on the Southern Alps, so they won’t be looking their dramatic best. I guess you’ll just need to nip back in July or August.
Campers – yes. Oodles. (Enough that the competition should be fierce and you should be able to play one off another. ‘Oh! but I can get a 6-berth camper from United for that!’)
There are also commercial providers who have nationwide networks targetting the hospitality sector, so motels and hotels can offer internet access without fussing with it themselves. Eg: Zenbu http://www.zenbu.net.nz/new-zealand-wi-fi-hotspots-map.php but that can also be pricey – US$70/1GB for that outfit. [I mention them only because I remember the name from staying in a motel a few weeks ago in Kaikoura, I'm not familiar with the names of their competition, tho I'm sure they're there]
Campers with Satellite? Haven’t seen any. I’d be surprised – satellite internet dishes here tend to be about 3 to 4ft across. Some will have Sky/Freeview Digital TV, but that won’t help you.
Alternatives:
Cellular broadband: available but pricier than you’ll be used to. http://www.vodafone.co.nz/mobile-data/3g-broadband-plans.jsp – eg US$55-60 for 3GB. I haven’t used it, but I believe that for useful coverage you need something that supports “Extended 3G” which utilises the 900MHz spectrum which there is more infrastructure for. http://www.vodafone.co.nz/coverage/ [I refer to Vodafone here because I use them, but there is also Telecom's XT Mobile network.]
WiFi Hotspots: http://www.wi-fihotspotlist.com/browse/intl/2000036/ There are free spots, some around cafes etc, and others just in the middle of suburbia, from generous individuals endeavouring to set up a nationwide wifi hot-spot network called Default.
3 weeks will never be enough, but that’s a pretty decent way to split 3 weeks.
See, now, that’s more like it.
Personally, no. But the http://www.immigration.govt.nz/ site is very good. I work for a tech company that needs to hire immigrants to access the right skills, and so we get a lot coming in on the Skilled Migrant category.
Check out the Business and Investment stuff on the Immigration site, and use one of the registered advisors http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migrant/general/generalinformation/advice/
Sounds like Christchurch, in the South Island. You’ve already heard [above] about the South Island. And it is a short cheap flight to Wellington and Auckland, should you ever need to, so it isn’t like you’re stuck in the backblocks.
• incredibly wonderful broadband
Telstra has a cable supply to much of Christchurch [and also Wellington City], that spanks ADSL butt. (up to 25MB down, 2MB up). I was out at the Pegasus subdivision http://www.pegasustown.com/ a couple of weeks ago, apparently they are laying fibre to the home in there, which is about time for new developments, the telcos have been pretty slack about taking the opportunity to lay dark fibre in new developments. Incidentally, check out that Pegasus development, I was skeptical of the ‘vision’ at first, but it is coming together quite nicely now. Just north of Woodend, about 15 mins drive up the highway from the edge of the city proper.
• access within 30 minutes to all the basic services of life
Christchurch: city of over 350,000 – with all the elements of a city needed to support such a population. Malls; cinemas; a syphony orchestra; beautiful parks;
• good coffee shops and tasty restaurants
Oh, then you’re definitely talking Christchurch. Or maybe parts of Wellington. Believe me, Starbucks has nothing on our cafes.
• a fun place to raise a family of 5 adventurers
Definitely Christchurch. Sandy beaches; a great river for swimming in, jetboating on, and taking trout and salmon out of; handy access to a great place to put your fizz boat in at Lyttelton – or moor a yacht; winter skiing within an hours drive; and a short trip to a thousand other adventures.
Actually, if I was completely honest, I’d say one of the provincial towns – maybe Nelson. Doesn’t necessarily plug into some of the other categories quite as neatly, but a great place to grow up.
Other sales jobs on Christchurch:
Christchurch real estate is lower priced than Auckland and Wellington.
The Southern Alps contribute to a dry and warm micro-climate, so it gets the best weather of any of the major cities, though beaten quite handily by some of the more provincial areas like Nelson, the Hawkes Bay, Tauranga, Whakatane.
Dead keen to hear of your itinerary – especially as for a good chunk of February I’ll be in Melbourne, so might miss out on the opportunity for a workshop. Will you do one up North and one down South? or too much hassle having to arrange 2 venues etc?
Sounds like on your travels you’ll have a few volunteers to take you hiking into some neat spots, when you’re down around Christchurch way I’d be happy to take you on a bush walk down here, assuming I’m around. And if not, I’m sure something can be arranged
Cheers
Jeremy
Clarification: when I recommended driving in to Awaroa Lodge? I over simplified. You can’t. Well, not to the door. The Totaranui Road gets you close – instead of turning left to Totaranui, you turn right for Awaroa, and you get down as far as the Awaroa Inlet. From there, you can walk across the mudflats and wade the streams, as long as it is Low Tide, give or take a bit. Which means if you catch it on the way out and head back for the vehicle as it starts coming back in, you’ve heaps of time for a meal.
To be unfazed by the tides, you can drive to somewhere like Kaiteriteri or Marahau, and then you take a water taxi to the restaurant.
Yes, there is literally no road in to the restaurant.
Some quick links:
AA [cars, not booze] recommendations for 101 things to see: http://www.aatravel.co.nz/101/
What the NZ Tourism Guide recommends to see and do: http://www.tourism.net.nz/new-zealand-things-to-see-and-do.html
An interesting site I found on a google that covers everything from bringing alcohol & tobacco into the country, to paying departure taxes on leaving, and everything in between such as how much you should expect to pay for a cafe breakfast and where to get some cheap clothes and what to do about those darn sandflies: http://www.newzealandatoz.com/
I’m an Aussie so i don’t know much about kiwi land, but one of my OTHER favourite HDR/landscape photographers Chris Gin lives there.. maybe you wanna have a look at some of his work and you could figure out where he’s taken some of his wonderful pictures from. You can find him from a google search.
I hope you have a wonderful trip, moving to NZ means you could make some quick trips to Aus without too much trouble
I have a vodafone vodum (as long as you have cellphone coverage you will have internet, will never be as fast as what you used to overseas as NZ high speed internet is slow). Let me know, i can organise to give it to you at the auckland airport. Wanaka is a place that i would put down as must go.
Some kind soul has set up a page to collect free hotspot info: http://jahoog.org/wifi/
More info on pricing for wifi access at pay-hotspots: http://www.nzconnections.net.nz/Internet_Plan_and_Pricing_Comparisons:_Wi-Fi_plans
with the Tomizone one looking like it has the best coverage, though different pins appear and disappear at different zoom levels, so you can’t tell from just one zoom level! http://www.tomizone.com/wifi_users/locate
Well, you’re right in it filling up fast! Damn! Haven’t had a chance to check if I’ve double up on anything but with you’re beautiful photography, you should check out a place in the south island called Ohau. Tiny little ski resort (basically a lodge with a ski field) but the lake is surrounded by an amazing mountain range which is therefore untouched by the wind. On a clear night you get the most incredible reflection of both star and peak.
Also, if you enjoy your wine, check out Pegasus Bay Winery which isn’t too far from Christchurch. Winner of the best winery restaurant for a few years running now. Talk to Kamel Toor…
Enjoy amigo.
Sean
Hi Troy
Fantastic news that you are visiting us here!
I would be very interested in a workshop, photo-walk or any photography related outing. I expect many others will be too!
I don’t think you will be chased off by any police or rent-a-cops here. Has only happened to me on one occasion… uh and I was trespassing so that will teach me!
Regarding internet access, I have a USB cellular modem on a monthly contract which I make very little use of. It allows 2gb of traffic per month without any additional charge (overage is very expensive tho). 2.7mbps down and about 300kbps up. Works all over the country. I’d be happy to loan it to you for the duration of your visit.
Feel free to get in touch.
Mark
Ahh.. Trey! Not Troy… I meant to type that I swear. The summer heat is messing with my brain.
Wow -
You guys and gals are so awesome!
I can’t believe how nice people in NZ are — this will be a great trip. I’m laying out maps and charting everything out – keeping careful notes on everything you are saying… really amazing stuff and I’m so excited.
Re: Broadband : if you drop by for coffee you’re welcome to use my fiber broadband to your heart’s content.
Re: Moving to NZ. Don’t move to Wellington unless you like WIND – I moved there first and it nearly drove me crazy. It’s NZ’s own Windy City. Plus it’s where the govt is located so there’s a lot of hot air as well..
Great to hear you are coming!
Where I live, in the Canterbury Plains is pretty boring, but the Waimakariri River, just north of Christchurch, or the Rakaia river south are pretty impressive because they are Braided rivers. The very wide stone and water channels against the backdrop of the Southern Alps are very beautiful
Also you could try out some of the short walks at Arthurs Pass in the Southern Alps for some great photos.
The Mackenzie Basin (High Country) has been used for The Lord of the Rings trilogy because of it’s wild rugged look of wide tussock lands against mountains. Lake Pukaki has very blue water.
I would imagine Mackenzie Basin would be great for a starry night shoot with all the lakes in a large natural basin setting.
Banks Peninsula (five minutes from Christchurch) contains Lyttelton Port, and also Akaroa harbour. You can swim with the (hector) dolphins in Akaroa, or go whale watching at Kaikoura Peninsula, a couple of hours north.
I am sure that if you take the time, you will find Canterbury a beautiful place to take photographs.
I will like to see your HDRs of Milford Sound when you shoot them because so far all the photos I have seen are pretty much the same with Mitre Peak right in the middle of the photo. Yours should be full of colour
Thin Smek
I can’t wait to see your photos of NZ! It is one of the most diversely beautiful places in the world to me.
So many great suggestions already. A small one to add is have you considered taking a 2-3 day hike? I went on the Routebourn which can also connect to Milford Sound and the views are gorgeous including rainforests, enormous waterfalls, mountain top lakes in their Alps.
I am not a photographer, but i do know art and talent when i see it, so its good to see you are visiting our fair shores. Having lived in both islands, the South is by far the best. My wife is from the north and wont move back. The schools are fantastic and there are two universities here. The north does have its good places but they are few and far between and if on limited time its recommended you spend most of your time in the south. Most comments have been covered off well, especially about the Abel Tasman Track. I spend a week there every year and was camping and hiking there last week with my two boys. We were the only ones siting on the 5th best beach in the world (as voted by lonely planet), it was brilliant. Christchurch is great and my father and i are trying to make our way through the 280+ coffee shops. I don’t rate Starbucks in the top 100. I work at the airport in Christchurch and have all of February off, let me know if you need any assistance or steering in the right direction.
I’m an Aussie but also going to be in New Zealand (south island) for a couple of weeks in Feb
Really hope you organise a photo walk or something when I’ll be around the same area
The whole reason I booked the holiday was to take photos of the amazing landscapes!
Hi there, I’ll be happy to assist if you need help in Christchurch. I’m sure my wife won’t mind helping discuss the finer art of domestic details of this city. Being the garden City, it will be easy to walk from the botanic gardens with its massive old English trees, through the arts and museum centers to the square and old cathedral in the middle of town. Much of this part of town is historical and has many old buildings. A short distance from the center of town is a place called the strip and it is a selection of bars and cafes all with outside street seating over looking the placid tree covered Avon river. Its a shame you are not here in Feb as Christchurch is hosting the international buskers festival and it will have numerous street performers around the town and in the square.
Just got your newsletter Trey and this is awesome news! I’m heading to NZ (from Aus) for a wedding but the only two days free are the ones you’ve made tentative!
I REALLY hope you confirm either 18/19th of Feb!
FYI I bought your book earlier this month and it has been very inspiring.
I used to live in the south Auckland town, Pukekohe. Some great places I can think of for HDR shots are:
- Mercer at early morning, sunrise. Often there is fog cover over this very hilly area with some very cool atmosphere. I think Beautox had a photo taken at Mercer, made ‘editors pick’ on hdrspotting.com
- coromandel peninsula. This rather large area but specifically along the Thames. As you drive into Thames theres a really cool bridge you cross.
- Waiheke Island! Just a short Ferry from Auckland city, Waiheke has some ‘out of this world’ scenery, especially at sunset. I have a friend who lives there who we visit
and he takes us around on trips around the island.
- Lake Taupo. Mt Ruapehu is also within short drive of Taupo. Both are really beautiful parts of the North Island.
Hope to see you at the photowalk!
Hi Trey, Great to hear about the photowalk; I’ll be there. I suggest that you look for a house in Pukekohe, it’s turning into a great place to live. Only 30 mins or so from the center of Auckland, 25 mins from the airport, and my fiber broadband just keeps getting faster. Last night measured the speed at 67Mb/s download, 32Mb/s upload. Anyway, look forward to meeting you.
I just found this via a link on Flickr – I am a keen amateur photographer living in CHCH – so if you need help organising a Photowalk down here I am happy to be of assistance. Feel free to email me offline
Hi there, I just found this link via BlueRose – welcome to NZ, and so glad you’re coming to Christchurch. Along with BlueRose, I’m really happy to work with you to get a photowalk going. Head to The Christchurch Cluster on Flickr to meet more of us, we’re a very friendly group of people!
I’ve lived half my life in North Island, half in South Island – Auckland, Wellington & Christchurch and a couple of places in between – and see where I’ve settled!
Look forward to seeing you when you’re here.
Great to hear you’re thinking of moving. You may want to check out the internet speeds while you are here. There are a few new subdivisions with fibre to the home and some with cable but most of us are on DSL with a max upload of 512k – 7-8mb downstream. Out in the sticks they can only get dial up. There is a big government backed program to push fibre to the home but it will take time. Not quite 3rd world service but will be a lot slower than what you can get in the states.
Hi there I ma a freelance photographer as well I am involved with NZ’s largets camera club. We would love to have to you speak to us if you have time we meet on a Wednesday at 8pm and talking slot is 1 hour. I have a space free on the 17th March.
Also there is a guy I know who may be interested in being involved with helping organsie your walk here Ferg Campbell.
Carole
Hey Trey,
I help run a NZ photographer forum and if we can be of any assistance during or before your stay then please feel free to get in touch.
Have a safe trip and hopefully I’ll get the chance to join you on your Auckland photowalk.
Jack
Hi Trey
Count me (and a friend) in for the Auckland photo-walk next week.
Cheers
Tim
[...] be packing it up for the upcoming trip to New Zealand. Thanks for all the comments on that page, btw – I am going to be following up on that stuff [...]
[...] be packing it up for the upcoming trip to New Zealand. Thanks for all the comments on that page, btw – I am going to be following up on that stuff [...]
Thanks everyone!
Okay, the Auckland photowalk on the 19th is on. Unless there are plane problems, I should be there with no problems — I am looking forward to it!
—
Additionally, we may be putting something together for a photowalk in Christchurch as well and a talk there. We will see what we can do! If we can do it, it should be on Mar 3, 4 or 5
Fantastic news! We live in Wellington – you simply MUST do a photowalk here
.
We moved back here to NZ in 2000 (my wife is from WA state), so can give lots of advice (not here) on the joys of raising 4 kids here.
Let me know if I can help get you to Wellington. I’m just starting out with HDR… so much fun.
[...] as the birds, and I look forward to meeting all you nice Kiwis! There is more information on the New Zealand page [...]
Please consider Wellington too……….
Hehe – I’ve gotten a lot of requests for Wellington — it’s a bit hard because these things take a while to put together… and while to execute on too. I’m coming there with my family, and did not want to spend too much time taking away from them – sure you understand.
Looking forward to you walk/talk in Christchurch. I’ve been here just over three years; brilliant country and beautiful scenery. The train trip over Arthur’s Pass is well worth doing, especially in the winter. My kids loved it.
It seems you are only here for a flying visit next week, but if you get the chance later on I highly recommend the Tongariro Alpine Crossing as many others have mentioned before me. I did this a couple of weeks ago, and shot a few HDRs (inspired by you of course!)
If you are to do it I recommend a carbon fibre tripod, as it is hard going, especially the climb to the summit of Ngaruahoe (aka Mt Doom)
Here is a few of my shots if you are interested: http://www.isaachenry.com/posts/tongariro-crossing.php
Just a caution about hand luggage… Air New Zealand is pretty strict on cabin baggage and often weigh it – max is 7kg (roughly 15 pounds). It causes problems for me every time I fly with my camera gear.
[...] have the details up on the “I’m Coming to New Zealand” page. I hope to meet you all there… we will have a good time. I’ll encourage [...]
You lucky man! NZ, the best place on earth for someone who love the outdoors and photography. If in christchurch, consider a (multiple day) trip to the Banks Peninsula / Akaroa. But there are lots of great places to go. Can’t wait to see the photo’s!
Have a good trip.
Hi everyone – Trey suggested creating a flickr group for the Auckland Photowalk, so here one is: http://www.flickr.com/groups/1388721@N22/
It was a great evening – thank-you very much to Trey and Vivian for organising it!
I’ll echo Edouard’s words, great night. Thanks so much for taking the time out to entertain us.
Hope you managed a good nights sleep in Orewa, the kids looked exhausted. If you get the chance the Whangaparaoa peninsula (right next to Orewa) is worth a visit.
Looks like everyone had a great time on the photowalk. Trust me to time my NZ holiday to be LEAVING yesterday
Would’ve loved to attend this.
[...] the heels of the north island, the photowalk is moving to the south island and Christchurch on March 4. This talk will be a high-class event, complete with Wine and Cheese… but of [...]
[...] the heels of the north island, the photowalk is moving to the south island and Christchurch on March 4. This talk will be a high-class event, complete with Wine and Cheese… but of [...]
Hey, This reminded me of reading about TidBITS contributor Steve McCabe’ recent post about having moved to New Zealand with his family. http://db.tidbits.com/article/10917 Might give you some insights.
My family moved to Christchurch for 7 months last year for an exchange with the Canterbury University and we loved it. We definitely would love to move there permanently. (maybe in a couple years…) We lived in a suburb of Christchurch called Sumner. A fantastic place for a family, it still has the village feel and the city is right there for all the services. http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonathanbird/3612820091/
It is also close to Lyttleton which has a great farmer’s market. You have to have the chocolate from “She Chocolat” a little boutique chocolate shoppe (based in Governors Bay) that has a booth in Lyttleton every Saturday.
Good luck, have a great time, looking forward to some HDR shots from NZ!
Hey Trey, what’s stopping you jumping across the lake and visiting Australia? Not that you’ll get bored of NZ (it’s a wonderful place, as you are no doubt experiencing), but it’s an easy ‘back and forth’.
Hi Trey,
Thank you for the walk yesterday, it was great to meet you!
I’ve created a group on Flickr for people to post their photos from the Christchurch Photowalk here: http://www.flickr.com/groups/1335617@N24/
Hope you like the city and move here soon (although Queenstown is pretty cool too… maybe too cool for someone used to very hot Texas weather
)
Sebastien.
[...] to work in the USA, land of the free, to be creative and capture beauty… just another reason I’m Coming to New Zealand, where there are no tort [...]