Name: 紐西蘭南島公路旅行。凱庫拉、普納凱基、奧塔哥、麥肯錫盆地、阿卡洛亞。 (New Zealand South Island road trips: Kaikoura, Punakaiki, Otago, Mackenzie Basin, Akaroa)
Uploaded: 2021-01-14T05:42:30.000Z
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Our one-week journey across the South Island of New Zealand

of the South Island, with more than 340,000 inhabitants.

The city of Christchurch is slowly recovering

from the devastation caused by major earthquakes in 2011

but even now in 2013, the damage is still apparent

Driving along the coast towards the south, it's possible to admire

in the form of coastal cliffs, rich vegetation and unspoiled beaches.

are one of the most famous attractions in this city. The Gardens are renowned,

not just for their endemic and foreign flora,

but also for the numerous artworks scattered throughout the grounds.

About 180 kilometres north of Christchurch

In Maori, the name Kaikoura means "meal of crayfish".

This settlement was actually once a centre for the whaling industry.

Although the crayfish industry plays a role in the economy of the region,

the town has now become a popular tourist destination,

During our whale watching excursion, we saw two giant sperm whales,

New Zealand Fur Seals, pods of Dusky Dolphins,

and three types of Albatross, including the Gibson's,

other whale species can also be seen depending upon the season.

We found the boat staff to be very well prepared in answering our questions

about marine life, and the videos displayed

during the cruise were a good introduction to the waters of the Kaikoura coast.

Kaikoura beaches are populated by colonies of Southern fur seals.

They differ from true seals because  they are smaller and have external ear flaps.

a permanent colony of baby seals takes refuge in the freshwater mountain stream.

They spend most of the day playing in the running water,

descending to the beach every three days to be fed by their mothers

The unique variety of marine life that characterises the Kaikoura coastline

is currently under potential threat from plans by Big Oil

to build a deep sea rig off the coast of New Zealand.

In a big step backwards for their green credentials,

the government of New Zealand supports this initiative, although their decision

to gag local people by prohibiting protestation

is a clear indicator that something untoward is taking place.

Take away free speech, and you take away faith and credibility.

The disturbance that oil drilling entails could drive away the whales

that are the mainstay of Kaikoura's tourism industry.

Moreover, drilling in a seismically active area at depths

never attempted before is an experiment that also puts the area

The egress of oil into this environment could irreparably damage

the delicate equilibrium of marine and coastal life

If you get the impression that Kaikoura is sparsely populated,

wait till you see the west coast of New Zealand's South Island.

As we drove from Kai-koh-ra towards Westport, we encountered the most

Woodpecker Bay features perhaps the most stunning and unspoiled beaches

Halfway between Westport and Greymouth is a single village,

famous for its Pancake Rocks and Blowholes. The Pancake Rocks are a heavily eroded

limestone terrane, where ocean swells burst through several

vertical blowholes during the high tides. Naturally, we arrived during a low tide,

but the scenery was no less spectacular for it.

is not limited to its coastlines and marine life.

A mountain chain crosses the island from top to bottom,

the highest peak being Mount Cook, at 3,754m.

The two largest glaciers are the Franz Joseph and Fox glaciers.

Safety barriers discourage visitors from approaching the glaciers too closely,

but with licensed guides, it's possible to hike across the glaciers

by land approach, helicopter or even ice plane.

only alpine parrot, and has been deemed one of the most intelligent

We found one at Franz Josef glacier car park and were stunned by how cheeky

Keas are attracted by the prospect of food scraps.

leads them to peck at and carry away unguarded items of clothing,

or to pry apart the rubber fittings of cars.

Once very common, Keas are now endangered, as they were formerly

demonised as killers of sheep, leading to bounties that saw their numbers plummet,

from hundreds of thousands to just a few thousand today.

Fortunately, Keas are now strictly protected,

On the way to Haast, just after the Waita River,

is the Curly Tree Whitebait Company. Not only can you buy fresh whitebait here,

they'll also cook it for you on the spot in the form of whitebait fritters,

which makes for a healthy local delicacy.

New Zealand whitebait are unlike those eaten in Europe. They are the juvenile stage

freshwater fish that mature and live as adults in rivers.

The eggs of these fish are swept down to the ocean where they hatch.