Riding New Zealand, the most beautiful end of the world
TOWANDA Woman Tina Hartung reports from one of their Motorcycle Tours
On an immaculate day in paradise we pick up the hired motorcycles in Christchurch, New
Zealand’s Garden City. Six women from all over the world have joined TOWANDA women on this
tour: Pat and Terry from the United States, Shirley from “Ozzy” (as New Zealanders call
Australia), Petra from Switzerland and Barb and Hilde from Germany.
We cruise out of town along the windy Peninsula road. The sea sparkles in vibrant colours on the
left and the rim of an extinct vulcanoe creates the skyline on our right. I smile in anticipation. I
like the first day on tour: to see on the faces of the others how this little country at the end of the
world with its fairy-tale like scenery just blows them away. We always take it easy on this first
day.
In Akaroa, the little township on the peninsula, Pat and Terry want to swim with dolphins. Akaroa
Harbour is the home of Hector’s dolphins, the smallest and rarest species of dolphins in the world.
Filled with excitement we watch the water bubbling with dozens of dolphins jumping out of the
water and diving under again. They are just one arm length away from us and we can see them
eye to eye in the clear water.
The next day we reach the Southern Alps, New Zealand’s “backbone”. The vivid turquoise of the
glacier lakes, due to the natural levels of phosphate in the water, look surreal amidst the
surrounding tussock land and snow covered mountains. This is not a bad wee place for a refreshing
bath in the ice cold water. This evening we experience a spectacular sunset in the colours purple,
pink and orange before we fall into a dreamless sleep.
An early start the next morning reassures us that we will reach the old University town of
Dunedin for our date with penguins, sealions, seals, albatrosses and other rare New Zealand
wildlife on the Otago peninsula. Lurking in the dusk we hold our breath waiting for the first
penguin to appear. A wave travels ashore and like Phoenix a little penguin materialises, stands up
and walks towards us over the sand. Petra pinches my arm to make sure she is not dreaming.
After a coffee-stop in one of the many nice Cafes of Dunedin we are off to world renown Milford
Sound the next morning. Milford Sound is a world heritage area like the Grand Canyon and other
places of internationally acknowledged significance. It stands apart as a region of distinct
character formed by glaciers over the last 2 million years. The U-shaped valleys they have left
behind are now lakes or fiords.
The road to Milford through dense native bush and rugged mountains with many spectacular
twists and views, is one of the best rides Downunder. Half way there we meet Keas - the cheeky and
highly intelligent parrots of this area. They are very inquisitive and like to hook their sharp beaks
into motorcycle seats, so we need to keep them at bay while some go photo hunting.
By the time we reach Milford everybody is on a “high” from the ride, the scenery and the special
atmosphere. We join other tourists to go on a cruise through famous and dramatic Milford Sound
and thank Goddess we can enjoy the ride a second time on our way home.
Next day we have the option to take a gravel road and a steamboat over to “thrill zone”
Queenstown. For the back-up vehicle and everybody who wants there is a sealed road as well. The
day is fine and we enjoy our ride through New Zealand’s back country. We take it slowly, as Barb
and Hilde haven’t done much gravel before and need some reassurance. The gravel is very easy
and not really a problem and soon everybody relaxes. We fly over the last hill of the farm station
down to the lake shore just as the “TSS Earnslaw” docks. The 90-year old Lady of the Lake is a
breathtaking picture. She is one of the last steamboats of her age in service. The girls can’t believe
it when they are asked to ride their bikes up the small gangway onto the wooden deck of the boat.
But the “Earnslaw” doesn’t mind. She used to carry cars and livestock before she became a living
legend serving tourists on Lake Wakatipu. When we reach Queenstown on the other side of the lake
all the girls are overwhelmed by the stunning view of “The Remarkables”. This very aptly named
range of snow capped mountains is the steep, rugged backdrop looming above the mirror-like
surface of the lake.
Life in Queenstown is all “go”. The next day Barb and Hilde join me on a thrilling offroad tour with
two and four wheelers while Terry, Pat and TOWANDA women Clancy go on the “world’s most
thrilling jet boat ride” while Petra challenges her courage with a bungy jump. Bungy Jumping
has its origins in the South Pacific where it was used as a tribal ritual for bravery and Queenstown
lays claim to be the first commercial bungy jumping site in the world. This particularly thrilling
day sends us with big grins on our faces on our next leg of the trip.
From Queenstown we go on to the magnificent West Coast. This area holds world records in rain
fall and is often affectionately referred to as the “Wet Coast”! We are more than lucky to catch one
of the rare sunny days here. We now experience the Southern Alps from the other side. Two
glaciers, Franz Josef and Fox glacier, ooze down towards sea level and can be seen not far from the
main road. They are the fastest moving glaciers in the world.
The main road curls itself through glacierland in the most gorgeous twists - and again we
experience a biker’s cocktail with stunning scenery and windy roads.
We learn about the culturally treasured pounamu or jade that is only found in certain rivers of the
West Coast and then we reach the Pancake Rocks of Punakaiki, one of the seven wonders
Downunder. With every high tide the water level dramatically rises several metres.
The next day we ride through the Buller Gorge, New Zealand’s “little Grand Canyon”, on our way
to the exotic Abel Tasman National Park. The beauty of this park is best seen by quietly paddling
our hired sea kayaks off golden beaches, through warm clear blue-green water in absolute
tranquility. In the evening a boat takes us deeper into the park to the lodge. “This is heaven on
earth”, sighs Terry, speaking our thoughts.
Our two days at the lodge are just too short but everybody is happy to be back on the pegs as we
head through the picturesque Marlborough Sounds towards the ferry harbour to the North Island.
The ride called “Queen Charlotte Drive” offers one twist after another and awesome views over
tranquil bays and is a good way to say “good-bye” to the South Island.
Sunbathing on the deck of the ferry, the others laugh at me when I point at dolphins playing in the
water. Soon everybody on the vessel is on their feet watching them whirling around the boat.
Wellington is only a short stop-over where Francesca welcomes us in her unique art-deco
guesthouse. From there we ride north along terrific coastline and then inland towards the high
plateau of the vulcanoes. Tonight we are invited to stay on a marae, the traditional meeting house
of the Māori community. Māori are New Zealand’s first settlers, arriving from Polynesia over one
thousand years ago. They represent the rich culture of the South Pacific in New Zealand.
Our group has practiced “Māori Protocol” the last couple of days and everybody learned a short
sentence, a mihi, in Māori. I can hear my heart pound as we wait at the gate to be invited in. We
are greeted by warm dark-brown eyes and as we walk onto the marae, another woman performs
the karanga, the welcoming song. It’s so beautiful it makes the hairs on my neck stand up. Inside a
koumatua, or elder, tells us the story of their whakapapa, their families, their area and their
ancestors with pride and dignity – and in Māori, of course. Then they sing their song of heaven
and earth and everything in between.
Now comes our moment. They don’t know we have practiced this. One after the other we stand up
and say our sentence, I even manage to introduce my whakapapa with a little speech in Māori – as
the protocol demands. Then we sing “Old McDonald had a Farm” as a song from our countries. Our
hosts listen benevolently. We have proven that we are not completely ignorant and as soon as the
official part is over we are made very welcome. The night remains special just as it began with a
hangi, a meal cooked in an earth oven and traditional songs.
The next morning it is hard to say good-bye to our newly found friends. It is surprising how close
we feel with people of a culture we know little about. They made us welcome and we feel as if we
have spiritually arrived at this place they call Aotearoa – The Land of the Long White Cloud.
We have to leave to look for more adventures. We find them around the thermally active area of
Rotorua, just up the road. The Champaign Pools of Wai-O-Tapu (Sacred Waters) are unique in the
world with a fifth of a hectare of bubbling, hissing water, and a beautiful ochre-coloured petrified
edge. Throughout the area mud boils violently in pools and geysers rise in front of stunned
spectators.
Mt. Maunganui, on the way to the lush Coromandel, offers some relaxation with its lovely sea
views and inviting beach promenade. We enjoy a warm spell as we ride north of Auckland to the
beautiful Bay of Islands, where the European settlement of New Zealand began with the landing of
James Cook in 1769.
All too soon we reach Auckland and with it the end of our tour. For 22 days we have shared the
highlights of New Zealand and all the emotions that are part of this experience. Terry, Pat,
Shirley, Petra, Barb and Hilde have become “Towanda Women family” and as they leave they
take a piece of us TOWANDA Women and Aotearoa with them.
TOWANDA Women offer tours from 10 to 22 days for women only. For more information please
contact TOWANDA Women, towanda@paradise.net.nz, www.towanda.org
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