Abel Tasman beach

The car window’s rolled down, clean air tousles my hair, a favorite CD blares while majestic scenery’s revealed at every turn with nary a car in sight. Where am I? Road tripping on the wild, west coast of New Zealand’s South Island. Travel along with me on a 5 stop itinerary:

Nelson

Let’s start in the north and go south. The artsy town of Nelson makes a good beginning. We’ll take a day or two to explore the vineyards and artist enclaves. Don’t forget a hike on the beach combined with a walk in the rain forest on a day trip to Abel Tasman National Park.

Hokitika

On the way to the west coast town of Hokitika, we’ll stop by Paparoa National Park for a walk along the coastal path at Punakaikai Pancake Rocks and Blowholes. Later, we’ll arrive at Hokitika in time to tour the jade factory and browse the galleries of woodworkers, jewelry makers and glass blowers. Let’s stop for a fine French meal at Cafe du Paris before turning in for the night at Kapitea Ridge.

Franz Josef

It’s glacier time! The small alpine village of Franz Josef will be our headquarters for treks to Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers. Our hikes will take us through the rain-forest to a glacier’s terminal moraine. A helicopter tour provides an aerial view. Of course we could don crampons to accompany a tour out onto the glacial ice.

Taking the plunge

Wanaka

After traveling over Haast Pass on a drive through Aspiring National Park, we’ll arrive in the lakeside town of Wanaka. A jet boat ride up the Matukituki River provides thrills combined with the scenic beauty of Mt. Aspiring. Our Maori guide and driver stops to lead us on a walk as he entertains us with Maori legends.

Queenstown

Today, our journey takes us on Crown Ridge Road. We’ll travel through gold country before dipping down into the Gibbston Valley for wine tasting. At our final destination, bungee jumpers, paragliders and speedy jet boat drivers prove that Queenstown really is the queen of New Zealand adventure.

With our road trip adventure at an end, what did you think of the one-lane bridges and round-abouts? How many cars did you count on our travels? Are you ready for another New Zealand road-trip?

Review by Donna L. Hull, My Itchy Travel Feet
All photos courtesy Donna or Alan Hull

The 6,000-foot Hells Canyon is not only the deepest river gorge in North America, but it’s also a part of a huge recreation area that includes over 650,000 acres of wilderness, three Wild and Scenic rivers, and 900 miles of hiking trails.

Beamers Jet Boats

The Hells Canyon National Recreation Area sits along the border of Oregon and Idaho.  It’s extremely remote, and mostly roadless.  I’ve been wanting to get a look at the canyon for twenty years, so I was as excited as anyone to board the Beamers Tours jet boat in Lewiston, Idaho, where Captain Dan waited to guide us down the Snake River and into this rugged land that has remained mostly untouched for thousands of years.

Right from the start we spotted osprey, eagles, antelope, bighorn sheep, and even some old guy panning for gold. The kids had a blast with Captain Dan swerving back and forth along the river at an exhilirating 45mph. Along the way he pointed out unusual geological formations and a few pioneer homesteads, and even stopped to let us all get a close-up view of ancient petroglyphs that dated back at least 2,500 years.

Cache Creek Ranch

The turnaround point for the half-day tour we took is Cache Creek Ranch, where we had an hour to eat, lay in the grass, and watch the kids play. The Forest Service runs the ranch now as an interpretive center. While we lazed around, Captain Dan was down at the river catching smallmouth bass right and left.  The river is a fisherman’s paradise.

Even though this trip was just a taste of what the canyon has to offer, the kids absolutely loved it. They had no idea that just a few hours south of where they live is such a massive, and totally unique, wilderness area. There’s so much more to see and explore.

Wet and wild jet boat

You can choose to see the canyon in several different ways.  Traveling by jet boat is the easiest, and quickest.  Most tour operators offer half-day, all-day, or multi-day tours.  Hiking in is another option, with three major trails designated as National Recreation Trails.

If you’re looking for a rugged and remote wilderness that doesn’t feel overcrowded like some of our national parks, look into spending some time in Hells Canyon.  It’s a surprisingly short and easy drive from the large population centers of Portland, Seattle, and Salt Lake City.

All photos by Phil Corless

Ancient petroglyphs

Snake River