The exchange rate may have something to do with it -- the US $ has had a big surge vs the NZ $ in the last year. 2008/2009 was even higher, for a brief time. Last year in Feb we never got those comments, which is why I think it may be something like the exchange rate.
Thanks for the TR Gimp. Like many here my wife & I have this on our BL. I like the van rental idea - what was the outfit you finally used? Sorry to hear about the tourist crowds but of course we are the problem, so can't really complain.
Whoa! Looks like February 2009 was the time to take your dollars to NZ. It was almost a 2:1 ratio. This certainly plays a part in the tourism surge.
Jim Dockery wrote:
I like the van rental idea - what was the outfit you finally used? Sorry to hear about the tourist crowds but of course we are the problem, so can't really complain.
Absolutely right! What should we expect in a beautiful country which happens to have summer during our winter? Folks from all over the northern hemisphere flock there to escape the doldrums. That plus Iron Man competitions, Cricket championships and Chinese New Years really packed people in this year.
But if you have a van, you don't have to rely on hotels. Just make sure you reserve it far in advance. And keep in mind that there are new laws in place now which severely restrict the areas you are allowed to "freedom camp" in you camper van. The new laws carry heavy fines if you are caught staying in the wrong area, but we saw no evidence of enforcement patrol. The company that saved our bacon in Wellington was called Vancy. Those guys are really helpful and have newer vehicles with very competitive rates. Ask for Lee and tell him Adam and Heather sent you.
Adam and Heather, I feel fortunate to have toured NZ way back in July-August of 1969. We felt like lonely tourists but were treated like celebrities the day Armstrong set foot on the moon (we were in Christchurch that day).
I don't think rental vans were available but we had arranged to buy a car and then sell it back when we were done, 5000 miles and 5 weeks later. Everything was cheap then, too! I recall buying two quarts of creamy milk and a loaf of good bread and still getting change for the equivalent of 25 U.S.cents.
We were just touring and doing minimal hiking. I remember the beautiful range named The Remarkables, snow-dusted in their winter. I wanted to ski the 18 mile long Tasman Glacier but it was a very poor snow year.
Some of the scrambling pictures you show remind one of some of Cascades great choss piles ( Rahm, Custer, etc.).
I believe the reason the Kaikoura Ranges shows no sign of having been glaciated is because of position. Being on the leeward side of the South Island relative to the prevailing westerly wind, even with sufficient altitude and latitude it probably just never received sufficient snow for it to endure long enough to transform into glacial ice, similar to most high arid ranges in our Great Basin, or the high dry parts of the Andes or Atlas Mountains.
Passing rocks and trees like they were standing still
0
Passing rocks and trees like they were standing still
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate NWHikers.net earns from qualifying purchases when you use our link(s).
