To hold myself ‘run accountable’, photo-blogged EVERY day of my 2 week journey in New Zealand. Reward? Would see more than your average tourist – each morning: new run, brand new area. Last day in New Zealand? Kirikiriroa Marathon.
March 5 (CO time): Auckland Airport – 4 miles
16 hour flight from Los Angeles, 19 hour time difference – meant I left Friday night but didn’t arrive in Auckland ‘til Sunday morning. Yikes, where did Saturday go? EVERY day’s a run day but my first run in New Zealand would be on Colorado time 🙂 Restroom stall change-of-clothes, packing service watched my luggage, then logged 4 miles on NZ’s North Island.
Mount Eden (Auckland)
March 5 (NZ time): Grand Millennium, Auckland – 6.2 miles
City tour, quick hike up Mount Eden, rode to the top of Auckland’s Sky Tower. Finished Day One with a 10K treadmill trot at the hotel gym (running on NZ time now).
March 6: The Redwoods, Rotorua – 12 miles
3 tour stops: Waitomo [subterranean cavern illuminated by THOUSANDS of tiny glowworms], Agrodome (sheep shearing demo) & Te Puia [traditional meeting house & Māori Haka].
10 minutes from The Redwoods, my first amazing NZ run (first of several). Massive trees, tropical vegetation & cicadas – the forest sang (12 mile FUN run).
March 7: ‘Geyser Run’, Rotorua – 8 miles
my first MORNING run in New Zealand (finally time-zone acclimated). Logged 8 miles of geysers before a half-day bike tour & late afternoon flight to South Island.
March 8: Burnside Park, Christchurch – 3 miles
Short pre-dawn run ‘round Christchurch’s Burnside Park. Run highlights: rugby field, lawn bowling, morning sunrise. Later jetboat’d on the Waimakariri River.
March 9: ‘City Park Run’, Christchurch – 10 miles
2nd double-digit run in NZ, 2nd time I got lost – neither long runs were planned. One left when I should’ve turned right, long morning on Christchurch city streets. Run highlights: EIGHT city parks, morning sunrise. Rental car pickup. Drove across the Southern Alps, detouring in the afternoon to walk a swinging bridge over Hokitika Gorge.
March 10: ‘Glacier Run’, Franz Josef Village – 7 miles
Day 7’s highlight WAS my morning run. Half-mile out of town, crossed the Waiho River via Bailey Bridge, to a dirt access road. Pre-dawn trail run thru giant ferns & tropical vegetation, down to a murky silt-choked river. Rock hopped across, spun ‘round & glacier gawked — Franz Josef straight ahead/high above. Popped over boulders, trekked UP, UP, UP. Waterfall-played on the return to town.
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- March 5 (CO time): Auckland Airport
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- March 5 (NZ time): Grand Millennium
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- March 6: The Redwoods
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- March 7: ‘Geyser Run’
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- March 8: Burnside Park
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- March 9: ‘City Park Run’
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- March 10: ‘Glacier Run’
Run NZ – Franz Josef Glacier
Alarm set, pre-dawn start. Not just any morning run – Franz Josef Glacier.
Woke north of town, Alpine Glacier Motel off State Highway 6. Half-mile trek to Glacier Access Road – [Catholic] Lady of the Alps on the left, [Anglican] St. James on the right. Good omen 🙂
Quick left off Hwy 6, crossed the Waiho River via Bailey Bridge. Bounced over the wooden pedestrian plank, alongside this one-lane country bridge, to a dirt access road. 4 miles to Franz Josef trailhead.
Westland Tai Poutini Nat’l Park. Scary dark trail run thru giant ferns & tropical vegetation. [NOTE to self: BUY A FLASHLIGHT!] Darkness soon gave way to pale-pink sunrise. Trail-ran DOWN to a murky silt-choked river. Rock hopped across, spun ‘round & glacier gawked — Franz Josef straight ahead/high above. Popped over boulders, trekked UP, UP, UP. Snow-melt waterfalls littered the mountain’s jagged rock walls. UP, UP, UP. Nearing the glacier base, read a Park placard detailing the death of multiple adventurists, following an earthquake initiated rock slide. Ok, enough – but jeez, it’s beautiful here. When it’s my time, let it happen quick…somewhere high in elevation, surrounded by snow (my humble Alpinist prayer ❤).
Waterfall-played on the return trek to town. 5 hour drive ahead, heading East now. Tonite’s destination: Queenstown, NZ’s hippie-happy Boulder. Ski town built on the shores of Lake Wakatipu.
Close 30 minutes from Franz Josef, River Walk hiked. Bright morning sun poured over Fox Glacier (popular heli tours buzzed overhead). WOW, whatta view! Lunched an hour later in Haast, before travelling a narrow rocky stretch – ‘The Neck’ – between lakes Wanaka & Hāwea. Foothills of the surrounding Southern Alps mirrored off these glacier-fed waters. Stunning.
Apartment dwelling 3-nights in Queenstown. Tomorrow morning: touring Doubtful Sound – 2 buses, 2 boats. But first, burger & a pint in Queenstown Gardens. One week down, one week to go…vacations go so fast.
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- mountain sunrise
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- glacier gawking – WOW!
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- fave New Zealand sign
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- snow-melt spillway
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- glaciers, boulders, waterfalls & altitude — fave NZ run, nothing better!
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- return trek over Bailey Bridge
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- Yikes!
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- River Walk hike
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- Southern Alps mirror off these glacier-fed waters
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- Lake Wakatipu
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- burger & a pint in Queenstown Gardens
…meanwhile, far far away — the Colorado Marathon…me [Captain America] in the upper right promo ad 🙂
Franz Josef Glacier
Up early but unfortunately, outta town late. Morning run just got away from me – 10 miles. One left when I should’ve turned right, long morning on Christchurch city streets. Run highlights: EIGHT city parks, morning sunrise. G’day New Zealand!
10am rental pickup (sorry Dawn). 2 hours west, couple days ‘til our next cityscape. First stop: Arthur’s Pass National Park. Easy short hike UP to Devils Punchbowl Waterfall. Purchased 2 apples, hung a ½ hour near the railroad tracks. Sunshiny day.
UP & over the Southern Alps (another 2 hours west), lunched in Hokitika. Afternoon adventure: swinging bridge over Hokitika Gorge. Travelling one-lane farm roads 30-35 minutes, ultimately located the Gorge. Hiked a mile, mile-half thru a mix of deciduous & tropical vegetation. Slender wooden bridge ‘cross the mighty Hokitika, stunning turquoise blue below. Not for the faint of heart. Creaky swinging structure, 6-person weight limit…truly a hidden gem 🙂 WOW, WOW, WOW!
The Hokitika River is in the West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It is about 64 kilometers (40 mi) long, beginning in the Southern Alps, emerging from the narrow Hokitika Gorge after merging with the Whitcombe River, and flowing into the Tasman Sea just south of the town of Hokitika.
Hugged the Hokitika for 2 days, ending our river journey Friday. Stopped briefly in Bruce Bay & touched the Tasman Sea. Having travelled all the way to New Zealand’s western coastline, over the next week would work our way east & up its Pacific shore.
But first…tomorrow morning: Franz Josef GLACIER
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- Devils Punchbowl Waterfall
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- another sunshiny day
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- mix of deciduous & tropical vegetation
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- swinging wooden bridge over the Hokitika River
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- 6-person weight limit…not for the faint of heart
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- stunning turquoise blue
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- New Zealand’s western coastline
…meanwhile, far far away — sent flowers & a tier of cupcakes, 70 mini cakes in all. Love ya Mom, Happy Happy Birthday! ❤
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- flowers & a cupcake tier
Arthur’s Pass
Hokitika Gorge swinging bridge
the Tasman Sea
