2014 Betong to Hatyai Ride

 "Losers quit when they're tired. winners quit when they've won.."

Date: 21 - 23 November 2014

Route: KL - Betong - Yala - Pattani - Hatyai - KL
Total mileage: 1,300 km

(Malaysia/Thailand border at Betong)

(By the lake, Bang Lang National Park) 

Next Trip: Q3 4-Nation Ride: Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar & Laos

2014 New Zealand Caravan Trip: 01 KL - Auckland - Christchurch

"Travel and explore and tell the world the glories of a journey..." - John Hope Franklin

Day 1: Friday, 7 November 2014
Route: KL - Auckland - Christchurch

Our MAS flight to Auckland which was supposed to depart at 08:55hrs was delayed for almost an hour. The 10 hour flight was uneventful, most of the time spent listening to Classic Rock.

(Greetings from the Lord of the RIngs cast) 

We reached Auckland International Airport at 01:00hrs New Zealand time, 5 hours earlier than Malaysia inclusive of one hour day-light saving. By the time we checked-out and claimed our luggage, it was almost 02:30hrs. The weather was 10 C and quite chilly.

(A huge imposing statue of a dwarf)

Our connecting domestic flight on Air New Zealand to Christchurch was at 06:30hrs so we had ample time for an early breakfast of pancakes and a cup of hot chocolate at McDonalds. At the arrival lobby, we bought a local Vodafone sim card to be used during our trip. We collected as much brochures and pamphlets about interesting places in south island New Zealand to assist in our routing later.

2014 South NZ: 02 Omarama, New Zealand👉

2014 New Zealand Caravan Trip: 02 Christchurch - Omarama

"A man travels the world in search of what he needs and returns home to find it..." - George Moore

(A cattle farm at Mackenzie District)

Day 2: Saturday, 8 November 2014
Route: Christchurch - Omarama

From Auckland International Airport terminal we walked a short distance to the domestic terminal to board our 06:30hrs flight to Christchurch. We checked in online through one of the many kiosks and dropped off our luggage. The flight took less than 2 hours and the immigration and custom clearance was swift.

(Arrival Hall Christchurch Airport)

(Planning the routing and setting coordinates)

(Looking out for road signages)

(Passing through sheep and cattle farms)

For our road trip around South Island, we decided to rent a campervan that will get us further off the beaten track. With the assistance from the I-site Customer Service Centre, we managed to book a campervan for a duration of 8 days at a total rental rate of NZ$1,615 inclusive of insurance coverage and GPS rental.

(The Farm Barn Cafe)

(Fairlie lookout point)

(Our campervan for the road trip)

Our Tui and Freedom Campervan pick-up was at 10:30hrs and by the time we completed paperwork and made full payment it was already noon. We drove out of Christchurch and stopped to buy provision at the Farrington Supermarket and later had fillet-o-fish lunch at one of the McDonalds on the Motorway 1.

(A cool beautiful weather)

(Bright yellow Mustard fields)

(A vast grassland with snow-capped mountains)

(A glimpse of Lake Tekapo)

Driving on the scenic route, we started our journey towards Omarama. Our first stop was at a Farm Barn Café at Fairlie in Mackenzie District overlooking the vast majestic landscape of rolling mountain and valley including Mt. Cook National Park.

(The Church of Good Shepherd)

(A short coffee break by the lake)

(Turquoise blue water of Lake Takapo)

(Blooming wild flowers along the lakeside)

We drove on Route 8 by-passing Timaru and stopped at Lake Tekapo, Lake Pukaki and Lake Oahu. We had a glimpse of Mt. Cook and stopped at a few lookout points to have photo shots of the beautiful scenery

(Beautiful reflections of the Southern Alps)

(Recreational areas along the lake)

(Omarama Campsite, quiet and tranquil)

We reached the Top 10 Campsite in Omarama around 19:00hrs. Omarama is a small town nestled among spectacular mountain ranges and surrounded by gorgeous scenery. The sky was still bright as sunset would only be at 21:45hrs. While waiting for Maghrib, I cooked rice, vegetables soup and omelette for dinner.

Tonight we slept like a log after traveling more than 20 hours.

          2014 South NZ: 03 Invercargill, New Zealand👉

👈2014 South NZ: 01 Auckland, New Zealand

2014 New Zealand Caravan Trip: 03 Omarama - Oamaru - Dunedin – Invercargill

"Danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short. But in setting our aim too low and achieving our mark..." - Michelangelo

(Iconic signpost at southernmost point)

Day 3: Sunday, 9 November 2014
Route: Omarama - Oamaru - Dunedin – Invercargill

We started a little late this morning after having a good heavy breakfast of toasts and scrambled eggs.

We drove towards Oamaru passing through Otematata, Kurow, Duntroon, Altavady and a few other small towns before we entered Motorway 1. By 11:30hrs we reached Oamaru. It is also known as the Penguin Capital of New Zealand situated on the edge of a pretty Victorian harbour.

(Driving on a quiet road)

(Taking a detour to Oamaru before driving to Dunedin)

(The town of Oamaru, the Penguin Capital)

We drove around town before we visited the Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony. Here visitors have the opportunity to view the blue penguins, the world’s smallest, one hour before dusk every night or one can opt for behind the scene tour any time of the day. This area is also visited by sea lions, although rare and threatened, they are not afraid of humans.

(Visitor Centre at Blue Penguin Colony)

(Beware of penguins crossing the road)

(Kayaking around the calm water)

After buying some souvenirs, we parked the caravan at the Harbour Tourist Park overlooking Oamaru Harbour Heritage, a man-made water barrier to tame the sea and create a calm water port. We had a hot cup of coffee while watching the busy activities around us.

(Rugged coastal lines)

(Long and winding road)

We drove to Dunedin through the coastal road, 150 km south of Oamaru. The coastline between Oamaru and Dunedine offers long beaches and uninterrupted ocean views and rolling farmland with many charming small towns along the highway.

(Interesting mural on the wall)

(A church in the middle of the city)

When we arrived in Dunedin most of the shops in town were closed as it was a Sunday but we managed to buy provision at a Philippines Grocer. Dunedin is said to be the best-preserved Victorian and Edwardian heritage city in the southern hemisphere. Using the GPS we tried to look for a mosque situated in Mosglel but could not locate the place.

(Taking the motorway to Dunedin)

(Vast rolling grassland)

(The town of Gore, famous for its trout)

We drove on passing through East Taieri, Walhola and stopped at Milton, a small farming town, for refuelling and shared a foot long seafood sensation sandwich from Subway.

We continued our journey through Clinton, Gore and finally arrived in Invercargill around 18:30hrs. Invercargill is New Zealand’s southernmost city with strong Scottish heritage.

(A take-away lamb kebab from a Turkish restaurant)

(The city of Invercargill)

(Top 10 Holiday Park, reliable and cozy)

We located the camp site and booked a powered site for NZ$47/night then drove to town where we bought provision at the Asian Market and lamb kebab at a Turkish restaurant next door.

As it was still bright, we decided to go to Bluff, the southern-most mainland points of south island New Zealand. We visited the Light house, the Sterling Point and the iconic Signpost and watched the captivating beautiful sunset from the Foveaux Walkway. It was said that if we ride up the Bluff Hill we could have a 360 views of Steward Island, Foveaux Strait, Southland and the gateway to Fiordland. We decided not to drive up the hill as the road is unpaved and made slippery because of the rain.

(Beware of crosswind and huge waves)

(The light house in Bluff)

On the way back to the camp site, we bypassed Invercargill town centre and took a longer route back and reached the campsite around 21:30hrs.

Tonight’s dinner was the take-away lamb kebab and vegetables soup with rice.

          2014 South NZ: 04 Te Anau, New Zealand👉

👈2014 South NZ: 02 Omarama, New Zealand

2014 New Zealand Caravan Trip: 04 Invercargill – Milford Sound – Te Anau

"Sometimes the road less Travelled is less Travelled for a reason..." - Jerry Seinfield

(Our footsteps will lead us to the road less Travelled)

Day 4: Monday, 10 November 2014
Route: Invercargill – Milford Sound – Te Anau

We checked-out of Invercargill camp site around 09:00hrs and drove direct to Milford Sound. It was cool and cloudy in the morning. It rained intermittently on the way. We passed Wilderness Scientific Reserve and bypassed the town of Te Anau and started to drive up the winding steep road to Milford Sound taking Route 94.

(Cloudy dark sky and intermittent rain)

(Heading to the snow peaked mountain)

(Narrow and winding road through the National Parks)

(Cool misty drive across the mountain range)

Although it was only 120 km from Te Anau, we need to allow driving time of more than 2 hours to reach Milford Sound as the road is winding steep, passing through Fiordland National Park, waterfalls, streams, lakes and chasms and through a one-way tunnel cut deep into the mountain, the Milford Pass.

(Passing through a single lane Milford Pass)

(No passing through, ample parking area for caravans)

We reached Milford Sound at 13:00 in the heavy rain. Luckily we brought our raincoats to prevent us from soaking wet in this chilly weather. We were in time for the 13:30 Mitre Peak Boat Cruise. The fare for the 2-hour cruise was NZ$80 each. We joined a small group of 25 people on the boat cruise and there was a free-flow of hot coffee on board. Milford Sound is the most accessible and the best known of the glacier-cut fiord jutting into the rough Tasman Sea.

(Many cruise operators to choose from)

(Comfortable seats at the lower deck)

(Going upper deck for a better view)

The cruise took us along beautiful sceneries, from cloudy misty cliffs and snow-capped mountains to rainforest and endless number of ever-changing waterfalls. The boat stopped under waterfalls and we sighted and photographed seals, blue penguins and possibly a dolphin or two during the cruise.

(Misty weather at the start of the cruise)

(Meandering fiords into the Tasman Sea)

(Seals and Penguins on the rugged rocks)

(You may sight some dolphins too)

(A tired cowboy sleeping on board)

(The end of the cruise)

It was still raining on the way back to Te Anau so we drove slowly and carefully. There’s no doubt that taking a cruise through Milford Sound was an unforgettable journey, yet travelling in a caravan on the Milford Road on the staggering scenic Alpines stretches was quite challenging and a true adventure of twists and turns and passed through breath-taking dazzling scenery of waterfalls, rivers, valleys and lakes.

On the way, we stopped at the Mirror Lakes to watch the clear reflections of surrounding sceneries in the water.

(Guided walking tour in the national park)

(The mist is slowly lifting, revealing the fiords contour)

(A nice view from the jetty)

(A wet, cold walk in the wood)

(A calm lake, reflecting the surroundings)

(Mirror Lake perfect reflections)

In Te Anau we had a very late lunch of tuna sandwich at Subway. After refuelling, we went to Fresh Choice Supermarket to buy bread, eggs, muesli bars and eye drops for our sore eyes.

The town of Te Anau lies beside Lake Te Anau, the largest lake in South Island and the 2nd biggest lake in New Zealand after Lake Taupo. It is one of the country’s most scenic locations among spectacular mountains and lush virgin forest.

(A beautiful rainbow after the afternoon showers)

We spent the night at Te Anau Kiwi Holiday Park which cost us NZ$45/night for a powered site. As we were still full, we skipped dinner and went to bed early.

        2014 South NZ: 05 Haast, New Zealand👉

👈2014 South NZ: 03 Invercargill, New Zealand