anna: Off-Season, New Zealand

Our favorite stunning campsite, Lake Pukaki, on a breezy,
fall day, in the central Otago region, S. Island, NZ

WE DEPARTED FRENCH POLYNESIA, for New Zealand, after spending three months cruising between the Marquesas and Moorea via the Tuamotu Archipelago. Our initial entry visas were issued for a short-term stay (90 days) when we arrived in French Polynesia. If you don't apply for a visa before arriving in French Polynesia, you are only allowed the short-term visa. Because we hadn't planned to visit French Polynesia (we had detoured west, from our original route: Galapagos to Patagonia), we arrived without a visa in hand, ahead of time. And while the boat, Anna, is permitted to stay for three years after arrival, the crew on the other hand, is forced to leave Polynesia after 90 days, and is not allowed to return for at least three months in any six-month period. That is, unless you obtain a long-stay visa in advance of arrival, to French Polynesia.


View from our desolate campsite at Lake Pukaki, s. island.

And so we departed French Polynesia after delivering, Anna, from the Marquesas and Tuamotus, to Moorea, during the end, but height, of cyclone season (March). On the last valid day of our visa, we checked out of French Polynesia, to visit New Zealand with an appointment to keep, at the French Embassy, in Wellington-two days after our touchdown in Auckland. We hoped to secure our long-stay visa and temporary residence permit, for a return to French Polynesia and Anna. Normally, it takes about two to three months to obtain the completed paperwork at the embassy. It took us a record five days for the entire process to be completed. Rather unusual. Probably an all time record for expediency, most likely never to be repeated again; a happy mistake on the part of the French Polynesian bureaucracy, in Tahiti. We're not complaining. We now have a one year visa that can be renewed, if need be, from within French Polynesia. We never worked so hard to be allowed to stay in a country that we had no intention of spending any additional time in. And, with bad weather forecast for the upcoming summer season (November to April) in the South Pacific-a strong El Nino event is now predicted to make life unpredictable-the extra time allowance, to stay in French Polynesia, legally, is useful if we have to wait for better weather conditions, to cross the Pacific, once again.

Waihi Beach, grasslands walk, s. island.

And while having to leave for New Zealand was inconvenient (just so that we could return to Polynesia a few months later to pick up where we had left off), our land-cruise adventure across the south and north islands of New Zealand for the three months that we were there-in the southern hemisphere's fall and winter-was extraordinary. It was the off season in New Zealand and few people were out and about. The country was wide open. There were no pesky summertime insects, and while the weather was cold at times (below freezing, now and then), we managed to keep relatively warm despite the lack of an auxiliary heater in the camper. We used our experience over the years of cruising, self-contained and off the grid, in remote places to guide our daily routines in the land yacht. We never plugged in to the grid and usually found off-the-beaten-track camp sites, with spectacular natural surroundings. We'd spend a few days in one spot and go for long hikes (typically, 2-5 hrs duration) in the sub alpine forests, alpine mountains, coastal cliffs, high desert, cloud forests, tussock grasslands, and rolling livestock fields. New Zealand is very well set up for this sort of lifestyle and it suited us well. Public access to conservation lands and even through private farmlands is exceptional. Everywhere. For us, the transition from ocean- to land-cruising was easy-peasy.


Mt. Tongario, n. island landscape: tussocks and snowy peaks.

The infrastructure of roads and utilities in New Zealand are quite remarkable. Very well maintained. Almost no potholes to speak of and this included secondary and tertiary roads, sealed and unsealed. The dirt-gravel roads were better maintained than most countries paved roads. There appears to be a sense of ecology unlike that of most places we've ever been to as well, and trash is hardly ever seen, littering the roads on the south island-some sort of respect for the land, or so it seems. And while most people never really think twice about public bathrooms in the countries they visit, it's hard not to comment on both the omnipresent availability and cleanliness of the public restrooms all across New Zealand. The rest of the world, including the US and other first-world countries could learn a lot about public amenities from New Zealand.

Sheep crossing, in the Catlins, far south, south island.

Both islands (north and south), in New Zealand, have a total population of about 4.5 million people (and about 1.5 million of those people live in Auckland, on the north island).The ratio of sheep to people is about 4:1. This is obvious, especially on the south island, where the landscape is white-dotted, everywhere, sheep rule. Our favorite island was the south island, where the people population is quite small and the landscapes, vast and pristine, and the weather systems, rough. We often encountered gale to storm force winds on the south island (ranging from 35 to 75 knots). Every few days a new frontal system plowed through. New Zealand has weather, and that's for sure. This made driving a typical campervan somewhat of a challenge due to wind shear. Additionally, narrow, steep, winding roads crisscross the islands and while traffic is minimal, almost everywhere (except, perhaps Auckland and a few other places on the north island) driving a large campervan, on the wrong side of the road, in a windy, rainstorm can be tense. But there are places to get off the road and camp, seemingly everywhere, so it's not an issue for long, if the weather turns nasty.

South Island, off road, near Hanmer Springs.

We drove 2,300 miles from the southernmost point of the south island (latitude 46S), crisscrossing our way north to the far north of the north island (latitude 34S). The weather in winter, on the south island, in the alps, was cold and the mountains were snow covered. The colors of the evergreens were blazing in the late fall. In the north it gradually warmed as we moved away from the higher latitudes, and by the time winter set in, the temperatures averaged about 55-65 degrees F in the far north, to about 25 -30 degrees F in the south. The coldest period saw the lows hit about -20F at snowy Twizel, at the foot of the alps, in the southern-central lakes district, one of our favorite spots, near the mint-green, glacier-fed waters of Lake Pukaki. Along with the central lakes district of the south island, we also loved the far south inland and coastal landscapes, and the Tongario National Park's tussock lands and snowy peaks on the high desert, on the north island.


Coastal access, Abel Tasman area, north end of s. island.

These photos show New Zealand landscapes to be varied and quite spectacular and all within a relatively short distance from one another, as the crow flies. It took us three months to scratch the surface of New Zealand, as we wanted to do as much hiking as possible, in each place that we visited. We would not hesitate to recommend the fall and winter seasons in New Zealand (mid-April to mid-July), as we believe the benefits of exploring at this time of year, by far, outweigh any benefit of warmer weather during the summer months, and along with that warmer weather, more people, more bugs, and more high-season expense. Most hikes (and driving), except, perhaps, the most challenging in winter conditions are without doubt more pleasant in the fall and winter. We'd recommend a 4WD truck and self-contained camper, with auxiliary heat for winter camping, if you can find one. This would give you the most flexibility to go anywhere, remote, without getting stuck.

Banks Peninsula,coastal walking track, s. island.

Meanwhile, back in the Society Islands, it's time for Anna's haul out. We need to paint the bottom, take care of a couple of repairs, such as replacing the roller bearings in our wind generator and removing South Pacific corrosion from the rest of our gear. Also, re-stitch our headsail and possibly see if we can find another, for a back up. It's a never-ending process. Like painting the Golden Gate Bridge-when you're done, you start all over again.

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