Karter Most people would rather travel outside their own country than visit their own country. Most of my friends have been overseas, downunder, far east, etc, but have never been across Canada. Applies to all nationalities I think. I will say though that our children have been across Canada before we took them anywhere else, including Disneyland.

Many years ago New Zealand produced a series of advertisements aiming at getting people “to see the country, before you leave.”

The one that sticks in my mind is a Kiwi canoeing down the Zambezi towards the Victoria Falls. An African on the bank calls out to him, “Do you know where the Victoria Falls are?”

The reply, as he disappeared over the Falls, was “Somewhere near Taupo aren’t they?”

We are travelling to New Zealand in 2 weeks and I was wondering if anyone knows which of the extra tours etc are worth while doing.

dorsetwool - which tour are you doing? I find no mention of New Zealand on the Trafalgar website! We did a coach tour of NZ a few years ago (NOT Trafalgar), and I think I can safely say that any optional in NZ is worth doing if you are young and fit and not scared of anything. I would say avoid 'white water rafting', bungee jumping, parachuting, and extreme jet boat rides (the adrenaline increasing type) - we did a Haast River jetboat ride, and enjoyed it immensely even after several 360 degree spins - there was never any danger, and the 'captain' always asked for feedback from the passengers before progressing to the next step - in the end we were encouraging him to be daring!

Do a helicopter flight over a glacier and a snowfield landing if you can - we were lucky to have done one, as the weather had closed in, but we got phone call immediately before dinner, saying that the weather had cleared and we could take a shorter flight if we wanted to, at lesser cost - another experience of a life time. We thought we had missed out on dinner, but the hotel had come to the party and served us out of the designated window - but that is New Zealand - they do tourism extremely well!

All this and you almost don't need to buy a Australian - New Zealand dictionary - I say almost!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Steve H,

dorsetwool: The New Zealand optionals that stand out in my memory were the Shotover Jet - lots of fun, and the scenic flight over Fjordland in a Cessna (SCARY but fabulous!)
A_Q9 - QUEENSTOWN. SHOTOVER JET RIDE
Enjoy a 30 minute jet boat ride down the mighty Shotover River and through Shotover Canyon with the only company permittted to operate in this area. Once aboard, your driver puts the famous big red jet boat through its paces, speeding past rocky outcrops with only inches to spare and twisting through narrow canyons. A major highlight is experiencing the famous 'Shotover Jet turn' where your boat spins through a full 360 degrees turn. Includes return transfers from your hotel. (Duration: 1.5 hours in total). (Please Note:- Prices are valid to August 2006)99 (NZD)
A_FJ1 - FRANZ JOSEF. MOUNTAIN SCENIC SPECCTACULAR
Discover the gigantic expanse of the Franz Josef and Fox snowfields on this 40 minute scenic flight. Cross the main divide for breathtaking views of Mt. Cook, New Zealands's highest peak. Highlights include a snow landing, Franz Joseph and Fox Glaciers and Mt. Cook. (Please Note:- Prices are valid to August 2006)350 (NZD).
These descriptions and prices are from the US brochure.

Hi,

if you have time while in Taupo take the sea plane over Mt Ruapehu. This is one of the best adventures we have had in New Zealand. The water level is rising in the "top" of Mt Ruapehu and is about a metre off flooding over the sides....that would be something to see!


The Huka falls just north of Taupo are also very interesting, as is the Vocanic Activity centre, which is close by.

Are you going independently?

The Crater Lake on Mt Ruapehu is now very closely monitored. Back on Christmas Eve in 1954, or maybe it was 55, it was the cause of New Zealand’s worst train disaster which is still one of the worst train disasters anywhere.

Back in the ‘50s, when I was young and stupid, I swam in the Crater Lake. It “ponged” a bit but was very pleasant until the time came to get out onto the snow and dry off and dress.

1953, and 151 people lost their lives when the lahar came down the Whangahu river from Mt Ruapehu crater lake and wiped out the rail bridge at Tangiwai. Everyone is ready for it again now. The experts say it will probably happen in the next month when millions of cubic metres of water and rock pour over the dam rim of the crater lake and follow the same route as the 1953 disaster. People will have approx 1.5 hours notice because of the sophisticated monitors set on the mountain and along the river. Our civil defence have been readying themselves for this over the last year,

NZ Nurse, modern technology is both a wonderful thing but often a curse, at the very same time. I hope and pray, that if the worst happens, no lives will be lost.

It would seem that NZ thrives on adrenaline, jet boat rides, white water rafting, bungee jumping, glacier walks, a cruise on Milford Sound when the forces of nature turned nastier than they had in living memory (guess where I was at the time - you are correct, on a boat). For the more conservative, there is heaps to do and enjoy - I can't wait to get back!

My comment sounds tacky when I read it again and the two comments from Tangata and NZ Nurse. I am sorry, I did not mean it to sound so... I am aware of the tragedy in the 50's, and I did not mean to imply that it would be good to see this tragedy again.

I meant it would be fascinating to see the crater lake so full...when we flew over it, it was frozen. The flight itself of the volcanoes in the Taupo area is an exciting experience.

quote:

Originally posted by NZ Nurse:
1953, and 151 people lost their lives when the lahar came down the Whangahu river from Mt Ruapehu crater lake and wiped out the rail bridge at Tangiwai. Everyone is ready for it again now. The experts say it will probably happen in the next month when millions of cubic metres of water and rock pour over the dam rim of the crater lake and follow the same route as the 1953 disaster. People will have approx 1.5 hours notice because of the sophisticated monitors set on the mountain and along the river. Our civil defence have been readying themselves for this over the last year,

In fact they have been readying for years. I had to do a university study on this (wasn't my cup of tea) but it was very interesting all the options they considered. Including taking diggers up and changing the mountain (and intentionally setting the laha off). However, there was lots of "tapu" issues as Ruapehu is a spiritual place for the local tribes.

So instead they just put in place a warning system and do drills. (The plan does have some significant flaws including cell phone dead spots around the mountain and emergency staff who live some drive away).

Penny1 - it will be of course interesting when it happens again - just hopefully the careful preparation pays off and no one is injured.

Penny1 -Tacky - not at all, it must be very spectacular by now, and it is obvious that you were not aware of the possible consequences of such water levels, I think we all know you well enough by now to know that tackiness was the last thing in your mind. I am sure that everyone realizes that, and I am sure that our New Zealand contributors know that.

Hopefully with all the alarm systems they have in place, it would allow time to stop any trains going by. I believe most of the deaths in the last collapse were because a passenger train was travelling by at the time of the collapse.


New Zealand remains my favourite country...it is spectacularly beautiful.

I must admit my eyes were unblinkingly fixed on the relevant spot on our recent tour of NZ, having heard about concerns a year or two ago, but to my mind the potential source of danger seemed a long way away as we went past.

Certainly not tacky Penny.

Thanks Nurse for reminding me it was 1953, I should have remembered that the Queen was visiting at the time, straight after her corination.

Steve, I can believe that Milford would be quite nasty at certain times. In 2004 we spent a night on the water, it was magical. Expensive but worth every dollar.