Van Life: Winter Style
- Kim
- Jun 27, 2018
- 3 min read
Dan and I are back to living the van life but now we are in winter mode! It has been going well despite falling temperatures and very short days. We definitely have been moving slower, but that is nice too because we truly get to enjoy every place and also have more down time to relax, play games, and make a dent in our "I want to read" list of books. (Both of us are finally reading Lord of the Rings! No better time than in the land of the movies I guess :)
Compared to the MN winters we are used to the weather here has been beautiful! It often still reaches 10-12 degrees Celsius during the day but does drop to 0 or negative temps at night. Our heater (an insulated water bottle or "hottie" that we put under the covers) makes such a big difference! We have actually not been cold at all in the van which is pretty crazy. However, trying to get up and started when it is still cold and dark outside and so warm inside is a different story ;) It is hard to get motivated for the day but that is the beauty of being in New Zealand for so long is that we don't have to rush or stress about it!
After we dropped Matt off we decided to head back to the West coast via the Lewis Pass. We stopped in Hanmer springs for a few days which is the spa capital of New Zealand. We were able to spend our first wedding anniversary at the thermal spa which consisted of a large variety of natural hot pools all which were different temperatures and made of different minerals. It was very relaxing and nice to spoil ourselves a bit!
From Hanmer Springs we traveled through the Lewis Pass and officially entered Coal Country. We explored two old and abandoned coal-mining towns. Denniston was one of them and it was a town located on top of a mountain. They settled and worked the coal mine before there was even a road up the mountain. They built a very steep "Incline" which was a gravity drawn pulley system and carted the coal down the mountain and the people and goods back up. It was very dangerous and many people died or were injured. It was very interesting to learn the history and see the remains of this very unique town in New Zealand.
We also explored Pancake rocks which are amazing limestone rock formations on the West coast. They are very thinly layered (like a bunch of little pancakes) and make for a truly unique landscape.
Dan and I also had our first cave experience when we visited the Oparara arches and Fenian Caves. We were both a bit nervous during the 100 meters that we had to cross through the very dark, tight, and wet cave but we made it! The forest up there was crazy and again it was completely unique from anything else we have seen in New Zealand.
We also walked a portion of the Heaphy track which is one of NZ great walks. It was spectacular and we went as far as Scotts Beach. It is pretty fun going to the beach in the middle of winter! We also love that there are not a lot of people traveling during this time of year so things are pretty quiet.
Once we had seen everything we wanted on the West Coast we traveled northeast until we arrived in Nelson. This is a city surrounded by beautiful beaches that also has warmer weather year round. The locals call it the Florida of New Zealand because many people move here when they retire.
We are doing another Helpx with a lovely German-Japanese couple and their 2 year old son. We are building them a storage shelf in their garage as well as other yard work and garden maintenance. When we are ready to leave Nelson we will head North and do the last stretch of the west coast which is the last part of the south island that we haven't seen yet. From here we plan to find jobs and settle down somewhere for a few months to finish out the rest of winter. For now we will enjoy sunny Nelson and a little break from the van life!
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