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backpackingmatt January 21, 2010

Auckland On a Budget

While Auckland isn’t New Zealand’s capital city, it is the largest with a population of just over one million people. Auckland has a great reputation throughout New Zealand, so long as you don’t leave … well, Auckland. Venture too far outside of the city, and it becomes overly apparent that Auckland and Aucklanders have a less than perfect reputation with New Zealand’s other three million people.

Chances are though, if you’re visiting New Zealand, you’ll spend at least a couple of nights in Auckland – and that’s all you’ll need. Your visit to New Zealand should include adventure sports, hiking, spectacular landscapes, and friendly people. And the best of these are found outside of the city.

Here are some budget tips for your time in the City of Sails.

One thing I found terribly frustrating after my arrival to New Zealand was the lack of free, wireless internet. The concept of going to a coffee shop, buying a coffee, and enjoying free access to the internet just doesn’t exist yet in this country – not even in a big city such as Auckland. The vast majority of WiFi hotspots you find are pay as you go. To further confuse matters, they are pay as you go based on time or data usage. Uploading photos to Facebook, using Skype, or streaming movies will drain your usage in minutes.

If you need the internet in Auckland, these are your best bets.

Esquires Coffee House has a number of locations around the city. Most of these will give you an hour of internet usage with the purchase of a coffee. While they limit you to 100mbs of usage, it’s certainly a better setup than most other coffee shops. Especially Starbucks.
The Gloria Jeans Coffee house at 360 Queen Street offers an even better deal. Purchase a coffee and they’ll provide you with the password to their private wireless network. No time restrictions. No usage restrictions. It’s a great place to Skype home.
Auckland’s Central City Library (and most libraries in New Zealand) at 46 Lorne Street (just off of Queen Street) offers free and unlimited wireless.

Just like any other city, you can expect to pay more for food, beer, accommodation, and the like in Auckland. If you’re after a cheap eat, you can’t miss Auckland’s Food Alley at 9 – 11 Albert Street.

Featuring about 15 different kitchens on two levels and specializing in food from throughout Asia, this food court is a must see for your time in the city. You’ll find food from Thailand, China, India, Turkey, Korea, Japan, Vietnam, and more. Hungry backpacker sized portions are served up for less than $15. Go over the lunch hour when the place is in full swing to fully appreciate the madness. With a couple licensed bars, you may end up spending the afternoon.

There are plenty of things to do in Auckland’s city center to keep you busy. But if you’re after a quick, cheap, day-trip outside of the city, consider heading to Devonport on Auckland’s North Shore. A picturesque, maritime suburb, Devonport feels more like a small village. With plenty of free things to do, it’s a great day trip for a budget traveler. I recommend heading up North Head and Mount Victoria. Both of these small hills provide unbeatable views of downtown Auckland, the sea, and the surrounding islands.

To get to Devonport, you’ll need to catch a Fullers Ferry from the ferry terminal at the bottom of Queen Street. The ride takes about twenty minutes and will cost you $10 return. North Head and Mount Victoria are within a 30 minutes walk from the ferry terminal – as are a couple of white sand beaches. After a day of walking around Devonport, you’ll be ready for a pint. Swing into the Masonic Tavern and enjoy one of their 14 different beers, cheap food, and sea views.

I don’t have any hostel recommendations for your time in Auckland. However, I can encourage you to avoid the Base ACB hostel on Queen street. Run down, smelly, and poorly run, this hostel is every non-travelers view of what a hostel is. Avoid it, and instead check out some of the independently owned hostels in the neighborhoods surrounding Auckland’s city center.

Have you traveled to Auckland? Please add your budget travel tips to the comments section below!

backpackingmatt January 6, 2010

Experiencing Franz Josef Glacier

New Zealand 21 Replies

If you ever find yourself in Franz Josef Village, on the West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island, you’ll be there for one reason – and one reason only. You’ve come to see Big Franz – Franz Josef Glacier.

Franz Josef Village (population, 300) exists solely because of the glacier found just outside of town. It’s a great, wee tourist settlement with all the necessary

bars, restaurants, cafes, and tourist shops. Franz has a nice, alpine village feel – so long as you don’t mind the massive influx of tourists that come every summer. If you’re here during the high season, be sure to book your accommodation well in advance.

A visit to New Zealand’s West Coast isn’t complete without a trip to one of the two glaciers found here – Fox Glacier and Franz Josef Glacier. Located only 300 meters above sea level, nowhere else in the world do glaciers come so close to the sea at this latitude. Found in Westland Tai Poutini National Park, Franz Josef Glacier is the product of years and years of endless rain. The West Coast receives over 78 inches of rain each year. High above Franz Josef Village in the glacier’s accumulation zone, this precipitation falls as snow, which eventually forms ice, which in turn creates Franz Josef Glacier.

Franz is one of the world’s fastest moving glaciers – traveling towards the sea at an astonishing average of one meter per day. About 18,000 years ago, Franz stretched all the way to the Tasman Sea. Since then, it has advanced and retreated and is currently found about 5kms outside of Franz Josef Village.

You have a number of options to see the glacier – one to suit every budget. If you’re short on cash, you can catch a lift to the car park outside of town. A 45-minute walk will take you within view of Franz’s face. An equally (if not more) impressive view is found by taking a quick ten-minute hike from the car park to the top of Sentinel Rock. From here you’re granted terrific views of the glacier stretching up the mountainside.

Franz Josef Glacier's Face — Franz Josef Glacier’s Face

To get the most out of your glacier experience, I recommend going for a guided hike onto the glacier with Franz Josef Glacier Guides. Located in the village, FJGG offers half day, full day, and heli-hikes. For the budget traveler, the half day guided hike is a must.

Franz Josef Glacier Guides sets you up with all you need for your glacier experience. They provide ice crampons, boots, warm and waterproof pants and coats, and transportation from the village. After being led to the glacier face, your group of thirty is broke down into groups of 10 – 12 with a guide for each group.

After donning your crampons at the edge of the glacier, about fifty steps cut into the ice bring you to the top of Franz’s face. Immediately, you’re greeted with unbelievable views of both the glacier valley and the glacier stretching up the mountainside. Your small group is guided up the glacier passing through caves,

past glacial streams, and around deep and seemingly endless crevices. Along the way, your guide ensures the path you take is free from the very real dangers of ice and rock falls.

The half-day hike takes approximately four hours and gets you almost two hours of ice time. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Walking around a glacier is an absolute surreal experience and well worth the money.

Thinking of taking a hike on Franz? Here are some details to get you started:

Where? Franz Josef Village is essentially in the middle of nowhere. The nearest large town is Greymouth, a good two hours north. Food, drink, petrol, etc. are significantly more expensive here in Franz. Plan accordingly. Book your accommodation well in advance – everything from four star to budget accommodation fills up nightly in the high season.

Franz Josef Glacier Guides are located on the high street in the village. There half day tours regularly fill up – book in advance.

How much? The Half Day Glacier Experience will cost you $105. The Full Day tour is $160. The Half Day tour gets you two hours on the ice – I felt this was plenty of time. Have some cash to blow? Check out their Heli-Hike Tour starting at $390. UPDATE: As the glacier has been retreating since publishing this post, there now is no longer the option of doing the half day tour for only $160. To actually get on the glacier, a quick helicopter trip is required due to unstable ice at the glacier’s face. The Franz Josef Ice Explorer is $325, but if you book through Planit NZ I can get it for you for $315 NZD. Book your Franz Trip here.

Is it worth the money? Yes. You won’t fully appreciate Franz unless you get up on him. Go for the Half Day tour!

Not convinced? Check out TravelFreak’s Franz Josef Photo Essay.

backpackingmatt January 2, 2010

Three Edinburgh Pubs You Can’t Miss

Scotland 12 Replies

After spending nearly a year in Edinburgh, I came to realize a number of things about the Scottish – namely, the fact that they love to drink. Needless to say, I fit in well. One of the many things I miss about Scotland is the pub culture that exists within the Scottish society. The pub is a place to gather, to meet with friends, family, and coworkers.

I spent many an afternoon in dim, Scottish pubs reading the Scotsman and enjoying a pint or two of real ale. After work, I would unwind with my coworkers at various drinking holes chatting away about work, life, and whatever came to our minds. The pub was a place to celebrate birthdays, graduations, and promotions. The pub was where I began courting my now Scottish girlfriend. The pub was a place to meet old friends and make new ones. And often, the pub was a place to warm up and escape Edinburgh’s rain.

If you find yourself in Edinburgh – and you should, it’s a marvelous city – here are three Edinburgh pubs you can’t miss.

Decon Brodies on the Royal Mile — Deacon Brodies on the Royal Mile

1. Deacon Brodies (435 Lawnmarket, The Royal Mile) is one of Edinburgh’s oldest and most famous pubs. Located only minutes away from the stunning Edinburgh Castle, Deacons serves up some decent beer, okay pub food, and has an impressive selection of Scottish single malt whiskies. Located minutes away from the castle, it is often filled with a number of tourists and locals alike.

The pub is named after William ‘Deacon’ Brodie who lived two lives: by day, he was a respected Edinburgh council member and deacon of the cabinet makers guild – by night, he was a robber who stole to support his drinking and gambling habits. He was eventually caught and ultimately hung on the gallows he built himself – only minutes away from where the pub named after him now stands.

As you walk into Deacon’s, be sure to look up and notice the beautifully decorated ceiling. Found and renovated only 20 years ago, the ceiling features the flowers of the four nations of the United Kingdon: England’s rose, Wales’ daffodil, Ireland’s clover, and Scotland’s Thistle.

2. The Halfway House (24 Fleshmarket Close) is Edinburgh’s smallest pub and located just up the steps from Edinburgh’s Waverly Station. No bigger than the common kitchen, this great wee pub is a wonderful place to relax, chat with locals, and sample some of Scotland’s finest real cask ales. They feature regularly changing cask beers throughout the year. Stop by often, as the beers change daily. The Halfway House also serves up some of Edinburgh’s best haggis, neeps, and tatties. Call in yourself and find out why it was named Edinburgh’s Pub of the Year in 2009.

3. The Royal Oak (1 Infirmary Street) is one of the best places in Edinburgh to get a real taste for traditional, Scottish, folk music – featuring fiddles, wooden flutes, drums, and the odd pipe. A well lit pub, The Royal Oak features live music throughout the week.

Show up early on the weekends, or you’ll end up having to royal oak squeeze your way to the bar. Get yourself a pint of whatever real ale they have on offer, a packet of bacon fries, and get ready for a music filled evening. My guess is you’ll stay later than you imagined.

Edinburgh offers literally hundreds of pubs to choose from – all unique in their own way. Take a wander around the cobbled streets of the Old or New Town and you’re bound to find a pub that suites you well.

Do you have a favorite Edinburgh public house? Leave it in the comments section below! Cheers!

backpackingmatt December 28, 2009

Bungy Jumping in Queenstown – Nevis Highwire

New Zealand, Travel Photos, Travel Videos 18 Replies

Update as of August 11, 2014 the price of the Nevis Bungy has increased to $180. If you book through Planit NZ, I’ll take $10 off the price of the jump – just quote Backpacking Matt when booking!

A bungy jump is arguably one of the most difficult things you’ll ever have to do. To stand on the edge of a bridge and jump goes against everything that feels right. Every part of your body, your mind, your rational thinking conscience says, “no, absolutely not.” To overcome that voice in your head and make the leap of faith is one of the greatest feelings in the world.

The more you think about the jump, the harder it gets. The pre-jump experience with AJ Hackett’s Nevis Highwire Bungy gives you plenty of time to think – this makes for a truly epic experience.

After checking in for my Nevis jump in Queenstown’s city center, I boarded an AJ Hackett shuttle bus which took me and about 20 other jumpers outside of town. The first stop was Kawarau Bridge – home of the world’s first commercial bungy jump in 1988. At Kawarau Bridge, about 15 people left the bus leaving only five brave souls to make their way another 10 kms to the Nevis Jump site. Not much was said on the bus ride – I sensed that everyone was as nervous as I was about the upcoming jump.

After turning off the SH 6, a quick 10 minute ride up a dirt road left us at the base of a steep mountain. We got off the shuttle bus and were asked to board a smaller, 4WD vehicle which made its way up a steep and winding gravel road.

As we neared the top of this road, our driver pointed out the wide open canyon to our right. Suspended above the canyon on a cable was the jump pod where I’d soon make the leap. My heart skipped a couple beats and I began to get a feel for what was to come – a massive jump.

After reaching the top of the hill, myself and the other jumpers were fitted with a harness, our weight was checked again, and we were led to the cable car which would bring us out over the canyon to the jump pod. The jump pod itself features a glass floor which provides some stunning views of the river on the canyon floor.

When it was my turn to make the leap, I was positioned in a chair which appeared to either belong in a dentist’s office or a torture chamber. The bungy cord was strapped to my feet and I was given some last minute instructions for the jump. Of my biggest concern was the bit where I was to pull the cord to release my feet after the second bounce. This would allow me to be pulled back up to the pod in a seated position – as opposed to upside down. Seemed to be straight forward enough – unless perhaps you had just experienced 8.5 seconds of free fall!

After the instructions were clear, I ‘toed’ my way towards the jump point. A small, metal platform which juts off of the bungy pod. The cord was tossed over the edge leaving me again with the stomach turning feeling of what was to come. The jumpmaster counted down, “3, 2, 1, go Matt!” and I dove out, hands first, over the canyon below.

Words can’t begin to describe the feeling, the ground rush sensation you get as you plummet towards the canyon floor below you. I won’t even try. It’s a completely comfortable experience – no significant jerk as the bungy cord reaches it’s end. A smooth flow up, and again back down. The euphoric feeling is immediate, and lasts for hours after the jump. You’ll instantly begin thinking about when you can jump again.

The experience was a great one from start to finish. The team at AJ Hackett does a terrific job of both making you feel safe and comfortable. From the check in, to the harnessing up, to the jumpmaster who is your last contact before making the leap – everyone was professional yet fun. Both characteristics you want the day of your jump.

Thinking of taking the leap yourself? Here are some facts to get you started:

How high? 134 meters (440) – Australasia’s highest jump!

How long will you fall? 8.5 seconds

How much? The jump itself will cost you NZ$250 – all transport included. AJ Hackett also throws in a free shirt. If you want video and photographic proof, you’ll be out another $80. Not a cheap experience, but well worth it in my view.

Where? The check in for the jump is in Queenstown’s City Center at the Station Building. Allow about three – four hours from start to finish.

Is it worth it? Yes. It’s not a cheap experience, but well worth it in my mind. For $250, you’re getting a half day experience that you’ll remember for the rest of your life. Taupo’s Bungy is pretty epic as well – but, you pay your $109, get your ticket, jump, and that’s you finished. AJ Hackett goes out of their way to make your jump an experience to remember.

backpackingmatt December 15, 2009

Experience Abel Tasman In a Day

New Zealand, Travel Photos 20 Replies

Each summer, thousands of backpackers and other budget travelers flock to New Zealand for a number of reasons – the sun, the beaches, the hiking, or the jaw-dropping landscapes that New Zealand provides. Many of these travelers come to New Zealand to hike a ‘Great Walk’ – one of several tramping tracks Beach on the Abel Tasman found around the North and Sound Islands. Be it the Milford Track on the South Island, or the Tongariro Circuit on the North Island, these tracks are inexpensive and rewarding ways to travel New Zealand.

One of these Great Walks is the Abel Tasman Coastal Track which is located only an hours drive away from Nelson in the Abel Tasman National Park. The track takes you through dense rain forests with views of beautiful blue bays and tropical islands, across white sandy beaches, and provides an excellent opportunity to take in some fine, New Zealand views. From end to end, the Abel Tasman Coastal Track stretches 51km and can be completed in anywhere from 3 to 5 days, depending on your motivation and level of fitness.

If you’re short of time, without a tent, or perhaps questioning your level of physical fitness, here’s how to experience the best of Abel Tasman in a day. Tidal pool

Marahau is a small, wee settlement at the Southern end of the track – a long hours drive north of Nelson. Water Taxis leave daily from Marahau to various points along the Abel Tasman Track. Your best bet is to spend the night in Marahau and catch an early ferry up the coast the next morning. Operating out of Marahau Beach Camp, Marahau Water taxis will take you north to Bark Bay for $36 one-way.

Approximately an hours boat ride north, your water taxi driver does an excellent job of filling you in on a number of interesting points about Abel Tasman National Abel Tasman View Park and its history. From Bark Bay, you have a beautiful, 21km walk back south to Marahau. A relatively flat, gravel path allow hikers of all ages and abilities to take in the park’s scenery.

Don’t forget to bring your sunscreen – many sections of the track are unprotected from the strong, New Zealand sun. Additionally, don’t let the potential swarms of sandflies ruin your walk. While I didn’t encounter many, I can only imagine one of the beaches is named ‘Sandfly Beach’ for a reason. Lastly, if you do hope to spend a couple nights in the bush, be sure to book your accommodation well in advance. The few DOC (Department of Conservation) Huts fill up quickly – you’ll want to bring your tent as a last resort.

A terrific, budget-friendly day trip, you can experience Abel Tasman in a day for less than $50. Finish your day at The Fat Tui, a small food trailer tucked under some New Zealand palm trees. This little joint serves up some outstanding fish and chips and may produce one of the best burgers I’ve ever tasted. A well deserved meal after a beautiful days hike.

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Hello! I’m Matt. Thanks for checking out my blog. Be sure to follow me on Instagram for loads more New Zealand travel inspiration. Comment on one of my photos so I know you came from here!