    
Harold J. Saling, Jr.
Member
Username: Hal_s
Post Number: 16
Registered: 01-2007
Posted From: 76.118.135.59
| | Posted on Monday, March 22, 2010 - 02:43 pm: | |
On Friday we drove to a town called Akorara; about one hour an fifteen minutes drive east of Christchurch. It had some French architecture. I was disappointed. The town did offer whale watch tours. On Saturday, Day 10, Pat and George drove Kevin, Bill and I to the train station for a 0700 hour departure to Wellington. We got off the train at Picton and then took the ferry to Wellington, on the North Island. Price for the train and ferry was $99.00NZ each($70.00US). We took a cab to the YHA for about $7.00NZ each ($5.00US). On Sunday we explored Wellington by taking The Wellington Rover Tours (www.wellingtonrover.co.nz). It cost $45.00NZ each ($32.00US) and were picked up at the hostel. It was a hop-on-hop-off tour and was informative. We stayed at the Wllington YHA. I don't recall the charge because we paid at the travel agent at Christchurch and we got an upgrade that we paid cash. However, their website is: www.yha.co.nz. There are over 50 YHAs in New Zealand.
Monday we went to the City Museum and totally enjoyed what they had to offer. On Tuesday we took the city commuter to the Kapti Coast to a town called Paraparaumu for $10.00NZ ($7.50US) and it took about an hour. The YHA was called the Barnacles Seaside and cost $128.00NZ($90.00US) for two nights. There is a reason we went to Paraparaumu. Kevin has a friend that has a friend that he grew up with in Fairhaven, MA, that now lives in New Zealand. His name is Danny and Kevin gave him a call. We spent the afternoon with him, his wife and mother-in-law. While there Danny called his friend, Jerry, via SKYPE. What a wonderful device. By chance, Jerry was on line. There was an 18 hour time zone difference. Wednesday we rested and got a train ticket to Auckland. It is best to get this particular ticket in advance. This train is called "The Overlander." There were three price ranges offered: $49.00NZ, $69.00NZ and $89.00NZ. The customer doesn't know what they will pay until the station attendant calls it in. We got the $69.00NZ ($48.00US) tckets. When the train comes, you check your bags at the front coach and are given your boarding pass indicating coach and seat number. On Thursday, Day 15, we boarded the 0825 train to Auckland for an 11 hour ride. It was very scenic. We took a cab for $11.50NZ ($8.00US)to the City Street YHA. The rooms progressively got smaller. The cost was $26.56US each per night. Friday we took a hop-on-hop-off bus to the aquarium and saw pengiuns, stingrays plus toured a walk through tube under sharks, turtles and many other fish. Later we visited the zoo that had a good selection of animals. Saturday we visited the Museum. It was very interesting and I saw a Maori culltural show. Sunday we toured the communications tower which is 1,000 feet tall. It is the highest point in the Southern Hemisphere. |
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