K20 adventure thread

[NZBurb]

Day six: Exploring Franz Josef

We headed south 15 minutes from Frans Josef to Fox Glacier town and headed out to Lake Mattheson. It’s a small lake where the Department of Conservation have built a trail that takes 90 minutes to walk around the lake. Lots of beautify native forest with life growing everywhere.

The lake is small and often has a mirror reflection which includes Mt Cook, which is NZ’s highest mountain at 12,200 feet. We weren’t fortunate enough to have one on the day we visited due to the low cloud, however it was a stunning walk. The tourists are a bit more standoffish and are less likely to initiate a “hi” or “good morning” as you cross paths, but seemed friendly enough when you start a conversation. There seems to be a growing trend, and I am guilty of this, where people are becoming more focused on their own ‘world’ and are interacting less with the broader community. It feels like there is a strong focus on having an experience with a place but forgetting the people’s whose paths you cross along the way. I’m being incredibly hypocritical as someone who says I’m too busy or tired most of the time to have any meaningful interactions with people outside the family, so it was good to see your own reflection in others – something for me to work on in 2020.

[NZBurb]

Day six continued

After some lunch back at our accommodation we drove out to the Franz Josef glacier. I don’t know what I was expecting, but it certainly passed all expectations and was the highlight of the trip so far. It takes roughly 45 minutes to walk to the glacier, with the first part through native forest before walking up the river bed. It was incredible to see the power of the glacier and what it has done to the landscape as it has retreated over the past 20 years. Really amazing and hard to describe.

The glacier viewing site is about 1km from the bottom of the glacier. In theory it is just a massive chunk of ice, but it and its surrounding is so much more. I can’t put it into words, apart from recommending it as a great afternoon out!

Edit: Apologies for some of the photos auto-rotating when uploading.

[NZBurb]

Day seven: Franz Josef to Wanaka

Day seven awoke to the infamous west coast rain but with conditions forecast to get better throughout the day. We had 180 miles to drive to Wanaka and the Suburban did great in the rain. After a fuel stop in Haast we headed inland to the Haast pass which takes us from the west coast through the southern alps and into the Otago region. The scenery was the best of the trip so far with so many waterfalls. It sounds cliché but it felt like driving through Jurassic Park.

We stopped off at some sights along the way including Thunder Creek Falls and the Blue Pools. The Blue Pools was looking more murky grey due to recent rain which washes and deposits gravel into the river, however the next lot of rain will wash it away and make the pools blue again.

[NZBurb]

Day seven continued

From there it was an hour drive running alongside Lake Wanaka (NZs fourth largest lake) and Lake Hawea. We were greeted by blue skys and warm temperatures of around 80. The mountains around Wanaka were looking a bit hazy due to the smoke from the Australian bush fires. They are having a hard time over there with towns wiped out and lives been taken. Hard to believe the smoke can make it the 2,800 miles (same distance as Florida to Washington).

The Suburban is running well, although the front brake pads definitely need replacing and the brake lights has stopped working. The fuse and bulbs are all good so could be the brake light switch which I’ll look into.

We have five days here in Wanaka so will get some shots of the town and surrounding area. It’s a peaceful and scenic town of around 9,000 and based on the wife is similar to Bend, OR. We are heading across to Milford Sound tomorrow which we are really looking forward to.

Just looked into the auto rotating photos and see its a challenge with the iPhone orientation. I'll get this sorted so you don't have to turn your heads sideways!

[Ol Blue K20]

Beautiful scenery, I'm enjoying the ride.

[Beach-Burban]

Really enjoy following your family's adventure, Vaughan! After my wife retires in a few years, we will need to put New Zealand on our "to do" list! Thanks for letting us ride along!

Woody

[LockDoc]

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Great photos and explanation. You would make a good tour guide....

LockDoc

[NZBurb]

Day eight and nine: Wanaka and Milford Sound

Hi everyone.

It has been great relaxing into Wanaka. Temperatures have been nice around the mid 70s with little wind and clear skies. Day eight was a laid back day with walks down to the lake to throw stones and enjoy the sunshine. I'll get some shots of the town in the coming days.

Day nine was a real highlight. I had never been to Milford Sound before and was keen to check it out. As the crow flies its only 60 miles, however with the mountains the trip by car is 4.5 hours over 212 miles one way - it makes for a full day if you want to drive out. The drive out does look incredible and I would be keen to do on a fine winters day, however we decided to fly out. We left at 8:45am, did a cruise around Milford Sound, and were back in Wanaka by 1:00pm - highly recommended!

[NZBurb]

Day nine continued

The flight out was about 45 minutes and the scenery was fantastic, supported by lots of interesting facts and observations shared by the pilot. The airport is at the top of Milford Sound and all planes approach it by flying through the fjord which was an amazing experience.

[NZBurb]

Day nine continued

We really lucked out on the weather. With 300 days of rain and 21 feet of annual rainfall we somehow scored a fine and still day. There aren't a lot of words to describe what the place is like - the photos look great but being there in person is a whole other experience.

Some interesting facts we heard included it's a fjord rather than a sound (apparently a sound is created by a river and a fjord is created by a glacier), it is massively steep with peaks 5,500 feet going straight down to depths of 900 feet, and the top 30 feet of water is freshwater while the sea water underneath is a few degrees warmer.

I'll let the photos do the rest of the talking.

[NZBurb]

Day nine continued

[LockDoc]

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Looks great! That would be an amazing runway approach. What are the animals on the rock and how do they get up there?

LockDoc

[NZBurb]

Hi Leon.

They are NZ Fur seals! They are remarkably great climbers and come in to rest before heading out for more food. We saw another three swimming around in the water and they looked like they were having a great time.

They eat a lot of squid and small fish and apparently hunt at night when their food is 'closer' to the surface - I heard they generally dive to 350 feet and some adult females go as deep as 700 feet, all the while 120 miles out from the continental shelf. Blows my mind that a mammal can do that!

[CG]

Your burb must have been quite the site for the people. How many big ol K20 burbs can they see tooling around?

Looks like an awesome trip.

[HO455]

Wow! I am so envious of you right now.

[Ol Blue K20]

What beautiful scenery, thanks for showing it to us. New Zealand is definitely on my bucket list...Although the Sierra mountains here are beautiful too. What an awesome world we live in...

[LockDoc]

Originally Posted by NZBurb

Hi Leon.

They are NZ Fur seals! They are remarkably great climbers and come in to rest before heading out for more food. We saw another three swimming around in the water and they looked like they were having a great time.

They eat a lot of squid and small fish and apparently hunt at night when their food is 'closer' to the surface - I heard they generally dive to 350 feet and some adult females go as deep as 700 feet, all the while 120 miles out from the continental shelf. Blows my mind that a mammal can do that!

Thanks for that information. Amazing!

LockDoc

[titan1587]

I wanted to say awesome thread
More people need to go out and use them
I have a high dollar paint job and will drive in the snow I don’t care because if it needs painting in ten years it’s still a cool truck again.
Hats off to you

[NZBurb]

Days 10 - 11

Hi everyone.

I have been getting into holiday mode proper so the updates have been a bit slower! Days 10 and 11 were spent taking it easy around Wanaka. We spent time with some friends who are camping, the kids got out on their jetski, I threw my back out throwing rocks into the lake (ageing is fun), reading, and enjoying the sunshine - a really nice few relaxing days.

The Suburban is going well, however when pulling into the garage the clutch pedal magically went loose and dropped to the floor. Turned out not to be a biggie with the circlip that holds the clutch arm onto the clutch pedal somehow breaking and working its way loose. A trip to the hardware store sorted it.

Day 12

Our stay in Wanaka has come to an end and we're a bit sad to be going. We really love it and can see ourselves living here in the future once the career is wrapped up and the kids are doing their own thing. A ski trip this year seems in order.

Day 12 had a 290 mile drive to a family members dairy farm just out of Rangiora. There is a real range of scenery along the way from mountains and lakes to rural.

Photos two and three are Lindis pass at 3,200 feet which is not massively high, but a good effort for the Suburban! We stopped at Lake Pukaki for a breather and to enjoy the electric blue water - stunning.

[NZBurb]

Day 12 continued

We grabbed a bite to eat at Lake Tekapo and took the kids to the hot water pools. They had fun on the slides and we all enjoyed soaking in the warm pools. We all agreed a dip in winter would be amazing given Lake Tekapo and the surrounding Mackenzie area is an international dark sky reserve where light 'pollution' is really controlled which makes for some amazing star gazing.

We finally made it into Rangiora and enjoyed a really nice evening out with family.

[NZBurb]

Days 13 and 14

Today we had a short run of 100 miles up to Kaikoura, which felt like a breeze after the previous 5.5 hour drive.

Kaikoura is all about the wildlife and we had fun checking out the seal colonies and went whale watching. The male sperm whales hang out year round as the Kaikoura Canyon is only 1,500 feet offshore, is 4,000 feet deep and the cold water brings all sorts of nutrients for life. Apparently the female sperm whales spent their time in tropics with their calves. I did get some photos but the whales never look as impressive on camera compared to in person, so here is our own land whale.

[NZBurb]

Day 15

Our last day and time to head home!

Another relatively short 100 mile run to Picton, then across Cook Strait on the ferry and to home. We drove through the Marlborough region which is really dry and if there is going to be a drought somewhere in NZ over summer this place is always first in line. The Suburban ran really well for the last leg, and driving into Picton I couldn't help but feel really proud for her - she had driven a long way over lots of hills and winding roads and didn't miss a beat.

[NZBurb]

Trip recap

We are all settled in back at home and no trip would be complete without a recap! Key thoughts include:

1. We covered roughly 1,050 miles using 120 gallons of fuel, getting around 9 miles to the gallon.

2. I'm really proud of the Suburban and how she just kept on going. It would be fair to say there were a few thoughts prior to the trip of something dying in the middle of no where, having to get towed, and the holiday plans having to be adjusted! But she kept on going like a champ. She only needed a small oil and water top up and nothing leaked.

3. It was great to drive and understand her for a good period of time and really get to know where she does and doesn't do well. Modern cars have come a long way in the past 50 years! She is however a 50 year old truck running leaf springs. Driving her requires you to really set up for the corner, be conscious of your speed and deliberate in your thinking. Driving the Suburban made me realise a modern car almost has a telepathic approach to cornering (and our youngest car, a 2004 Outback, is not even known for wonderful cornering) where you think micro adjustments as you go and they magically happen. The Suburban requires a bit more direction and control. This left me more tired at the end of a drive, but also made the drive go far quicker as your thoughts don't get the opportunity to wander and accordingly you never get bored.

4. Being required to drive at the speed limit makes the road seem quieter. I'm not a fast driver but will sit somewhere just over the open road speed limit. Driving the Suburban at the speed limit means you don't catch traffic and the traffic that catches you passes and soon disappears. It felt like we had all the time and space in the world which made for a far more pleasant and relaxing trip.

5. You can feel the road! I thought road building in NZ had improved over the past 20 years but it turns out it is the cars that have got better. The Suburban feels every bump, hole and undulation. She continues to track well but you do feel everything. There were a few 'aaarrgghhhhs' throughout the trip as went over a few surprise bumps

6. The kids love the space and having their own seats. Bring able to throw a bunch of stuff in the back and not have it take up window space is also awesome, and it seems no matter how much weight gets put in the back the performance remains unaffected

7. The NV4500 and taller diff gearing hasn't changed fuel economy. Probably no surprise given the gas required to get over all the hills and get out of the bends, but the engine only seems to pull between 1,500 and 2,500rpm - after that she gets a bit asthmatic and there is absolutely no acceleration in 5th (1,500 rpm at 60mph). She definitely isn't a modern car where you would expect speed to remain consistent over hills (or even small elevation gains), but she feels like she is missing a trick as the foot often has to be flat to the floor to accelerate without taking all morning to get to cruising speed. Could just be the Goodwrench in there.

8. Overall we had a really good time relaxing and spending time together as a family. I also really needed the break after a busy year. The Suburban definitely added to the adventure and it was nice to do something a bit different that takes you away from the modern conveniences. I'm confident the kids will look back favorably when they are older on a great trip in a fun vehicle.

That's all for me for this thread. Thanks very much for following along and for all of your kind feedback. Here is the Suburban a bit dirtier after the trip hanging out in her drive. Next up is a new brake light switch and a good clean!

[NZBurb]

Originally Posted by CG

Your burb must have been quite the site for the people. How many big ol K20 burbs can they see tooling around?

Looks like an awesome trip.

Hi CG.

The answer would be none! There is the occasional square body (as in I may see one every six months), but I have yet to see any 67-72 Suburbans. A lot of people wave out and give it a smile. They can never quite get over the size of her!

[NZBurb]

Originally Posted by Ol Blue K20

What beautiful scenery, thanks for showing it to us. New Zealand is definitely on my bucket list...Although the Sierra mountains here are beautiful too. What an awesome world we live in...

Hi Dale.

I agree! The Sierra mountains looks stunning and they are on my to do list one day. Hope all is well with you!