Picks and Pans

Here it is folks, the ballots are in.  This is the moment you all have been waiting for.

Favorite Towns

• Wanaka - Set on a beautiful mountain lake, Wanaka was a nice, laid-back place to relax for a few days. There were also a lot of cool activities, including a hip cinema and Puzzling World.
• Te Anau - Also set on a beautiful mountain lake, Te Anau was even more laid-back than Wanaka.  A great place to relax.

Least Favorite Towns

• Glenorchy - Sure, this town is the gateway to some great hikes, but its residents like to rip you off on everything from camping food, to "secure parking," to dingy hotel rooms.
• Haast - To quote Jay, "This is a sh*t-town in the middle of nowhere isolated on the west coast. The only reason to be here is to get from the west coast to Wanaka."

Favorite Cities

• Wellington - This was a really hip city with a good vibe where there was a lot to see and do and lots of good places to eat in between activities.
• Nelson - Plenty of sun, beaches, great location close to national parks, and very clean...what more could you want?

Least Favorite Cities

• Dunedin - Maybe it was just the crappy weather affecting my mood, but I found Dunedin pretty boring.
• Auckland - Auckland is clean, modern, and metropolitan, but lacks character.

Favorite Hikes

• Rees-Dart - The scenery on this hike was amazing and the weather made it even better.
• Abel Tasman - Beautiful beaches and easy walking. This hike was peaceful and relaxing.
• Tongariro Northern Circuit - The pictures really speak for themselves, this area was totally unique and awe-inspiring.
• Routeburn - This is a classic tramp with fantastic and accessible scenery, beautiful huts, and a great taste of what southern New Zealand has to offer.

Least Favorite Hikes

• South Coast Track - Mud, bush, and hills with very little scenery...for 7 hours a day. It wasn't worth the effort.

Favorite Tourist Attraction

• Stuart Landsborough's Puzzling World - This place was sooo much fun! There was a giant maze and a room full of puzzles - a great way to spend a rainy day.
• Speight's Brewery Tour - This was a very cool brewery that still uses nearly 100 year old equipment. The all-you-can-drink free samples at the end were also very well-recieved.

Favorite Large Hostel

• YHA Rotorua Treks - This hostel was brand new, had comfortable beds, and great lounge and kitchen facilities.
• Purple Cow Backpackers - This hostel also had comfortable beds and a great kitchen and lounge. It also had ping pong and a huge projection screen for movies.
• YHA Franz Josef - This hostel had a huge kitchen, great beds, and a free barbeque the night we were there.

Least Favorite Large Hostel

• On the Beach Backpackers - The kitchen had an ant problem, the building was old, and the beds were terrible.
• YHA Auckland - This was a bit of a disapointment, considering its five star rating. The place was a bit dingy and run-down and I caught the cleaning lady almost throwing out our food (even though it was correctly labelled).

Favorite Small Hostel

• Endless Summer - This was in a beautiful 1880s house where the owners have thought of everything. It even had a dishwasher.
• Lauder Store - This was more of a bed and breakfast, but they had pretty close to hostel prices. They had recently converted a 100 year old mud brick store and extended it into a beautiful B&B.
• Arthur's Pass YHA - Very cosy, great location, and a great kitchen and lounge.

Least Favorite Small Hostel

• Glenorchy - Very dingy, dirty bathroom, and sketchy bedding.

Best Beaches

• Abel Tasman National Park - These beaches are sheltered, stunning, and, best of all, not accessible by road.
• Hot Water Beach - At this beach, you could dig a hole and it would fill with hot water to give you your own hot tube. Need we say more?

Best Mountain

• Mt. Aspiring - Considering the helicoptor-like view that we got of it, this mountain was pretty awe-inspiring.
• Mr. Ngauruhoe (aka Mt. Doom) - A classic concical volcanoe in the middle of a flat platau. It draws your attention from miles away.

Best Restaurants

• Catch, Wellington - Very fresh sushi from a conveyor.
• Fergburger, Queenstown - You cannot miss Fergburger when you go to Queenstown. Probably the largest and most delicious burger either of us will ever eat.
• La Toscana, Te Anau - Great post-hike pizza.

Worst Restaurants

• Curry place in Westport - The worst curry ever. It tasted like Cambell's soup.

Best Place for Fish and Chips

• Christchurch - Three dollars for fish and chips.  That was a bargain and a half.
• Nelson - Very fresh fish and great chips.

Favourite Cadbury Chocolate

• Energy - This exclusive to New Zealand chocolate was darker than milk chocolate but not as dark as dark chocolate. We went through about 1 kg of it.
• Tiramisu (dessert line) - Essentially chocolate with coffee cream filling. Once we opened a bar, it was gone really fast.

Best Place to Destroy the One Ring

• The summit of Mt. Ngauruhoe 

Best Wildlife Encounter

• Yellow Eyed Penguin, Curio Bay - This little guy was sooo cute. He was hopping along the rocks on the shore.
• Seal pup, Abel Tasman - This guy was playing in the surf near our campsite.

Worst Wildlife Encounter

• Sandflies.  These are horrble. Their bites are so itchy that they wake you up in the night and last for days.
• The sheep poop and dead rabbit along the trail up Mt. Roy.
• Wekas - These flightless birds were very good at stealing our food and even made off with an oatmeal-covered spoon.

Cheers,

Erin and Jay