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eveninglottie · 6 years

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How do you get into the head of one of your of characters? Do you ever do writing excersises to get a feel for what they would do? Do they ever fight with you in situations, wanting to do something completely unscripted, how do you do it man. Tell me your witchy ways.

So I wish I had a good answer for this, but honestly? I don’t know. I assume you’re asking me specifically about fic here, since that’s what I have most of my experience in (besides a bunch of unfinished original projects lol). It helps to have a good idea of what you like about the character before you start writing. It’s one thing to fill out a huge character questionnaire and know everything about your characters before you start writing, but this has never really worked for me. Like worldbuilding, I have a hard time working on something if I’m not interested. I start with one or two things I love about the characters, and build from there. I’ll do my ocs (and oc-adjacents) for example.

With Roslyn, I wanted to explore the idea of a woman being told her entire life that she was a monster, and finding power in that, and her conflict with faith and trust in herself. A person who was entirely shaped by the forces around her, and how she eventually comes to break those forces and become her own person.

With Bella, I wanted to examine the idea of legacy and being an outsider. Living in an idyllic place and feeling as if you were trapped, and wanting more than what everyone told you you should want. The ring being a magnification of issues she already had. Also just... I wanted to write a woman who took no shit and was kind of hard to deal with.

It can also help if you start with canon characters and you imagine them in very specific images or motifs. For A Sordid Affair, I had an image of Vex and Percy meeting on a black and white roof, with the city spread out behind them and smoke curling between them. It was a very noir-esque moment, so I kind of built around that for the fic. For All The Stars, I have a very clear picture of where I want them to end up, which I will not divulge because spoilers, but I had that moment in my head which made me want to write the rest of the fic. I’ve also got an idea for an au for them, with one specific “what-if” in mind, namely what if Keith was the one who got captured on Kerberos instead of Shiro.

I’ve never had characters fight me, exactly, but I have had them change, for sure. Sometimes that happens over the course of a fic (like anyone who read Ascendant back in its early days might not recognize Roslyn, as she’s actually a lot more controlled and less volatile than she was in her first incarnation), sometimes that happens between outlining and writing the first chapter. Bella sort of just plopped out of my head onto the page, fully formed, so that was kind of great. For Where Wilder Hearts Roam, I had the benefit of writing a huge amount of that fic before anyone else saw it, so I could go back and flesh out her and Thorin as I learned who they were.

Again, I tend to write intuitively, meaning that I don’t really have any fucking idea what I’m doing most of the time. I write a lot, and I write fast (when I can write) so I sort of hope it all works out in the end. I know that this means my fics are long and rambly, which is not everyone’s cup of tea, but it helps me because I feel like I’m telling myself the story as I’m writing. Of course this also means that when something’s not working, I don’t really know how to fix it and just kind of let it sit there until I feel good enough to post it.

If you’re looking for ways to get into writing on a per-day basis, I would say my go to is music. Music helps me a lot. I have started planning out all my fics with songs, and for everything I’ve written after Wilder Hearts, I’ve had a rough outline in songs to draw from to help me get into the heads of the characters I’m writing. I tend to look for mood or keywords in the songs, and sometimes the songs help me flesh characters out in ways that I wasn’t expecting. It’s happened a few times that I’ll hear a song, and then a moment will unfurl in my head that wasn’t there before. If I’m stuck, I go back to the playlist and jump around until something clicks and I can keep writing. I don’t do writing exercises or anything like that, because I have a hard time writing for practice. If I’m writing, I want to use it, even if it sucks. I don’t like wasting words (which is hilarious considering how long my fics are), so I don’t really do warm ups. Another reason why I can’t do prompts. It has to fit within a larger story, or I just don’t care. I can sustain it for a while, but if I’m not building to anything, I don’t really see the point? (This is the problem I’m having with my Andromeda fic right now, actually. Saskia as a character is compelling to me, but everything else I could ditch and I wouldn’t really care.)

Like I said, I don’t have a ton of advice for you dude, because I legitimately have no idea what I’m doing. I’m still learning, and I’m still figuring out what my “process” is. Mostly I just find characters that stick with me, and go from there. I make them important to me, and I daydream about them enough until where they feel real. I hope this helps?

You’ve also caught me at a weird time, because not only am I in kind of a crazy headspace right now, I don’t feel super great about what I’m writing. I feel a little like I’m faking it until I feel good again. But this was really sweet of you, and I appreciate you thinking I have any kind of secret powers. It’s just maladaptive daydreaming my dude. Just find some songs that you like and make characters out of them and then listen to those songs on repeat until you make yourself cry.

#anonymous #seriously this is really sweet and if any of this doesn't make sense feel free to message me again and I'll try to make it clearer <3 #writing advice

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180abroad · 5 years

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Day 163: Neuschwanstein (and the story of Mad King Ludwig)

Today, we head back to Radius Tours for a visit to the famous Bavarian castle of Neuschwanstein.

I knew a little bit about Neuschwanstein from stories my dad had told me after he visited years ago. I knew that it was the inspiration for Disney’s iconic castles from Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella. I also knew that it was built in the late 1800s by the eccentric King Ludwig II, also known as King Ludwig the Mad. So it isn't a "real" castle in the sense of having any deep historical or strategic significance. So while we were expecting to see a very pretty building, our expectations didn’t really extend beyond that.

But as is so often the case when you go into things with low expectations, we were pleasantly surprised by how much we enjoyed it.

The tour started with one pleasant surprise right at the beginning--we'd be traveling to and from Neuschwanstein on a private bus that Radius had booked for us. Neuschwanstein is mainly just a tourist attraction, so there aren't a ton of buses and trains that go there every day.

Our first important lesson during the ride over was how to pronounce the castle's name. Neuschwanstein means New Swan Stone and should be pronounced “noy-shvahn-stine.” “New-shvahn-steen” is also acceptable. But it’s never ever “new-shwine-stine,” which would mean New Pork Stone.

After about an hour and a half of driving through idyllic rolling farmland, the Bavarian Alps hove into view. And nestled amongst their foothills was Neuschwanstein.

After arriving in the town of Schwangau, we were let loose to explore, use the restroom at a nearby wine shop, and get a bit to eat before meeting up again to make the hike to the castle, which loomed above us in the distance.

Jessica and I made sure to check out the wine shop, where we found a bottle of German Fume Blanc (a style of Sauvignon Blanc that we are both particularly fond of). Not wanting to lug a bottle of wine around all day, we made a note to come back after the tour if we had time.

We messed around in the local souvenir shops for a bit, then got a bite to eat at a sausage stand that was infested with garden gnomes.

Having regrouped at the meeting point, our guide took us on a short side trip before starting the hike up to the castle.

From the banks of the town's picturesque lake, we could turn around and look up to see the brightly painted yellow walls of Hohenschwangau Castle.

Unlike Neuschwanstein, Hohenschwangau (or Schwanstein, as it was called before the construction of Neuschwanstein) is an actual medieval castle dating back to the 12th century. In the 16th century, the castle was sold to the Wittelsbachs, Bavaria's ruling family, who turned it into a hunting lodge.

It was here that Ludwig II and his brother Otto spent their formative years, and it was here that we learned about them.

Ludwig's grandfather and namesake King Ludwig I was a legendary eccentric in his own right. His wedding was a massive, month-long celebration of drinking and festivities. It was such a smash hit with the people that they did it again to mark the couple's one-year anniversary. And their second, and so on. It still happens every year, and it is known throughout the world as Oktoberfest.

Ludwig had a romantic fascination for medieval Germany, and he redrew the administrative map of the country to make it look more like it did in the Middle Ages.

Ludwig also had a romantic fascination for the ladies. He had dozens of mistresses, which was excessive but not entirely unacceptable. What wasn't acceptable was when he fell genuinely in love with one of them. Her name was Lola Montez, and she was a Spanish dancer that Ludwig had met in Munich. Actually, her name was Marie Gilbert and she was born in Ireland, and Lola Montez was just her stage persona.

Lola used her influence over Ludwig to guide his political decisions, and everyone in Ludwig's court quickly came to hate her. Eventually, Ludwig was forced to choose between his throne and his mistress. He chose his mistress and abdicated the throne to his son Maximilian II, whereupon Lola promptly left Ludwig for greener pastures.

As if to distance himself from his father's shame, Maximilian II took the opposite tack. He was militant, austere, and devoted to governing above all else. Even his children. He showed no tenderness to young Ludwig and Otto. They lived in the servants' quarters of Hohenschwangau and were largely ignored when they weren't being lectured.

Finally, it was time to start the hike up. Cars and buses aren't allowed to drive up the road, so the only options are to hire an overpriced horse cart or use your own two feet. Our group included a number of older tourists, but slow and steady did the job.

As we hiked, our guide told us the next chapter of Ludwig's story. As a boy, he was obsessed with fairytales of medieval knights and star-crossed lovers, and he preferred reading and daydreaming to preparing for his future role as king. After moving to Munich as a teenager, Ludwig became obsessed with theater--especially the epic German fantasies of Richard Wagner, who was a rising star at the time. Ludwig became a devout patron of Wagner and came to revere as a substitute father figure.

Ludwig was in many ways a modern man. He preferred tailored suits to royal robes. He loved the arts, despised war, and his brooding demeanor was as trendy as it was un-kinglike. Ludwig had no interest in being king, and he looked forward to many carefree years as a prince about town.

But when his father died unexpectedly from a sudden illness, Ludwig had the throne of Bavaria thrust upon him at the age of 19. And just a few years later, this young idealist, pacifist king was caught up in a war between the neighboring Prussian and Austrian empires, both of which demanded Ludwig's loyalty.

Ludwig's mother was from the Prussian royal family, but the Bavarian Wittelsbach dynasty had ancient ties to Austria. Moreover, Ludwig’s beloved cousin and close friend Elizabeth--or Sisi, whom we had just learned about in Vienna--was the Empress of Austria. After postponing as long as he could, Ludwig declared his allegiance with Austria.

Having no aptitude for military strategy or leadership, Ludwig relied on his younger brother Otto to lead their army. Otto was athletic, outgoing, and charismatic--in every way the natural leader that Ludwig just wasn't. Ludwig's decision to not lead the army himself would have been seen as an act of cowardice, and after much agonizing Ludwig decided that it would be better for everyone if he abdicated the throne to Otto upon his return.

The war was a disaster. Austria lost in less than two months, and Otto returned a broken man. Today, he almost certainly would have been diagnosed with PTSD. Instead, he was shunned as a madman and eventually locked away after deteriorating into a state of total incoherence.

Ludwig no longer had any choice but to maintain his position as king.

But having just lost a war to Prussia, his powers as king were greatly reduced. Although still king in name, he ended up being little more than a puppet of the Prussian empire. And despite his many modern sensibilities, Ludwig was still in many ways a staunch conservative. He idolized Louis XIV, the 17th-century Sun King of France, and he believed like Louis that he was ordained by God as the rightful absolute monarch of his people.

Chafed by the irksome limitations to his power, Ludwig increasingly indulged in his penchant for fantasy and seclusion. Like his cousin Sisi, he withdrew from courtly life. But whereas Sisi traveled the world, Ludwig built himself a world of his own.

And the crown jewel of that world was Neuschwanstein.

Neuschwanstein is not so much a castle as it is a monument to Ludwig's idealized vision of the bygone of the medieval period. With the aid of 19th-century concrete, he was able to create a towering turreted palace rivaling anything that the most imaginative Romantic painter could conceive. But it was all just for himself. An escapist fantasy made real with the kind of money and power that only a 19th-century monarch could wield.

He filled it with ornately decorated rooms for himself alone to enjoy. There were lofty spiraling staircases, a throne room fit for God himself, and a full-size theater not for shows to be performed in but for Ludwig to sit alone in and imagine himself at a show. He even had one of the castle's side-passages made up to look like a cave so that he could imagine himself walking through one of his favorite Wagnerian opera scenes.

I think it really says everything that Ludwig's chief designer for the castle was not an architect but rather an operatic set designer.

Sadly, photos were strictly prohibited inside most of the castle. Tours were given on a tightly timed schedule by stern, soft-spoken guides. I would have much preferred to be lead by our guide from Radius, but given the thousands of visitors the castle sees each day, I can't really fault the staff for their efficiency.

And "efficient" is really the appropriate word. Despite the castle's massive size, it only takes a little over half an hour to tour it. That's because only a handful of the rooms were ever finished. Or, to be more specific, Ludwig could only afford to finish a handful of the rooms. But we'll get back to Ludwig's story a little later.

Past the gift shop, we were able to take some pictures of the castle kitchens, as well as the spectacular views from some of the windows.

After leaving the castle, took a scenic walk around to the hills behind the castle. There is a small bridge that was originally built for Ludwig's mother, an avid hiker. Today, it is highly recommended as the best place to get a picture of the castle.

Unsurprisingly, there was a line to get onto the bridge. What was surprising, however, was just how absurdly long it was. After an agonizingly long wait, we finally made it to the bridge, and my cortisol levels started to spike.

There was no crowd control at all. People were pushing and shoving shoulder to shoulder, phones outstretched to take their perfect picture. And unlike at Blarney Castle in Ireland, there wasn't even a slight hope that a dropped phone might survive.

Throughout the trip, Jessica has been affected by claustrophobia more often than me, but this time it was my turn to be triggered. Not-so-quietly cursing under my breath, I pushed my way out just long enough for us to get obligatory shots before immediately turning around and pushing my way back.

Apparently, the crowds at Neuschwanstein have been exploding in recent years. Even a few years ago the bridge wouldn't have been nearly as crowded. A lot of it has to do with tourists from Asia and Africa who are more and more able to afford and acquire visas to travel abroad.

Of course, it's their right to visit just as much as it is ours, but it struck a chord with a recurring thought I've had over the course of the trip. Like at the stone circles by Inverness, which are deteriorating at a perilous pace due to recent explosions in tourism. At some point, there are simply going to be too many people trying to go to too few places. And then what? Will the prices skyrocket until only the rich can afford to travel, the way things used to be? Or will there be ever-lengthening wait lists, like there already are in places like the Anne Frank house in Amsterdam?

At one point does the preservation of historical locations become incompatible with allowing people to visit them? And how much value do these places continue to hold if they are held off-limits from the visitors who want to see them? Is historical tourism inherently classist and/or unsustainable?

I know these are very pessimistic questions, but after waiting for half an hour in line with a crowd of whining tourists just to get shoved around on a tiny Victorian bridge spanning a drop to certain death, I wasn't in the most generous of spirits.

Anyway, as we walked back down, we decided to take the advice of our Radius guide and stop at a small stand where a man was selling fresh-made doughnut holes (or schmalzkuchen). Our guide had told us that they were the best doughnuts we would ever eat in our entire lives, and she may have been right. We each took a bite, and the next thing we knew, they were all gone. We hadn't even remembered to take a picture to taunt our families with.

Back in town, we had a little time left before we had to meet back up with our group. We revisited the wine shop and purchased the bottle of Fume Blanc we'd seen earlier.

It was while we were in the shop that I committed one of my most memorable faux pas of the trip. In one of the shop's display cases of premium wines, I noticed a bottle of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Upon closer inspection, however, I noticed that the name said something slightly different, and I had only mistaken it at first glance because it had a similar-looking name used a font very much like those used on bottles of Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

That was not the faux pas.

A little while later, I noticed Jessica inspecting the same case. She pointed out the same bottle and noted that they had a Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

"Actually," I replied, in what in retrospect must have seemed like an insufferably smug tone while pointing at the label, "if you look closely, you'll notice that it actually isn't a Châteauneuf-du-Pape."

After a confused second, Jessica pointed out that, yes, it actually was a Châteauneuf-du-Pape, as the label clearly stated just below the name of the winery, which had a similar-looking name to Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Realizing my mistake, I immediately crumbled, apologizing and backpedaling as quickly as I could. Of course, it was only then that Jessica realized I had been serious and not making some sort of weird joke.

She wasn't offended, but there's no way she'll ever let me live it down, either.

Having gathered back at the bus, it was time for the end of Ludwig's story. The official guide at the castle had already given it to us, of course, but our Radius guide's painted a grittier, less whitewashed version of events.

Over the next two decades of his reign, Ludwig never married, barely attended court, and racked up massive debts over the construction of Neuschwanstein. He became addicted to alcohol, opium, and food–gaining weight and losing most of his teeth along with his looks. He grew paranoid, refusing to sleep in case someone came in the middle of the night to seize his crown.

Ultimately, his fears became a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Eventually, Ludwig's cabinet ministers and his uncle–who were much more favorably disposed toward the Prussian Empire–conspired to have Ludwig declared mentally unfit to rule. They convinced a psychiatrist that had never even met Ludwig to certify him as insane, and a gang of constables arrived at Neuschwanstein in the middle of the night to arrest him.

Less than two days later, Ludwig and the psychiatrist were found dead in a lake outside the castle where Ludwig was being held prisoner. It was officially ruled a murder-suicide, but the investigation was performed by the government under Ludwig's uncle, who had every reason to want Ludwig out of the picture and under the rug.

Some people believe that the two got into a fight and killed each other, either because Ludwig tried to escape or because the psychiatrist tried to assassinate him. Some think that they were ambushed by people lying in wait.

One of the many curious pieces of the puzzle is the fact of the two men's pocket watches. Both men were found floating in the lake, and the lake water would have stopped their watches dead the moment it touched them. So why is it, then, that Ludwig's watch stopped at 6:53 pm while the psychiatrist's watch stopped over an hour later at 8:06 pm?

Whatever the truth is, we’ll never know for sure.

Neuschwanstein was left incomplete, with most of the interior unfinished. And six weeks later, Ludwig’s most private retreat became a showpiece for people from around the world to see.

So while it doesn’t have the history of a medieval castle, it does have another kind of history. It is a tragic monument to the end of a romantic ideal of knights and chivalry and the beginning of the ruthless modern era. Except that era never really existed. Life in the middle ages sucked, and chivalry was largely just a classist, chauvinist façade for rich men to go around killing and oppressing whoever they could.

So instead, perhaps Neuschwanstein is actually a monument to the end of eccentric, archaic monarchy and the rise of modern industrial society.

Or maybe it's just a pretty building.

Next Post: Nuremberg

Last Post: Munich

#180abroad #munich #germany #bavaria #neuschwanstein #castle #palace #alps #history #nature #architecture

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topfygad · 4 years

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Travel Daydream: The Ultimate New Zealand Road Trip

It could be said that the true joy of a road trip is the feeling of freedom as the wind whips through your hair, your favourite tune plays on the radio, and you’re in complete control of your destiny.

It’s just you, the wheel, and the open road.

I’ve never let a small thing like my lack of a car or a driver’s license stop me from enjoying the road trip experience, even going so far as enlisting the aid of my friend and sometime wingman, Hogg for this year’s Great US Road Trip.

In fact, when you’re a travel blogger who can occasionally get stuff for free, you’d be surprised how quickly friends come out of the woodwork to ask if they can drive you around a country…

Now that I’ve achieved my life long dream of doing a road trip across the US, I’ve had to set my sights on new road trip conquests.

One country I’ve been meaning to revisit and take my time with is New Zealand and, as luck would have it, it’s the perfect country for a road trip.

With car rental in New Zealand being affordable and there being no shortage of road trip routes to choose from, it’s the perfect place to spend a week, a month, or longer exploring at your own pace.

I was lucky enough to visit New Zealand on a ten day ‘break up tour’ with my first travelling girlfriend, Fallon. While the trip itself was obviously a bittersweet one knowing that we’d say our goodbyes at trip’s end, we still managed to have a memorable Christmas period travelling through the land of the long white cloud.

Our trip packed in the highlights: Auckland, Rotorua, Christchurch, Queenstown, Franz Josef, and Milford Sound.

We even found time to stop off at Nelson for Christmas Eve.

As amazing as that trip was, it left me with a thirst to see it all again at a more sedate pace and in more detail.

Below, you’ll find my dream New Zealand road trip. I’m sure there are some glaring oversights, so feel free to let me know where I’ve fucked up.

Auckland

I’m not alone in finding New Zealand’s largest city to be nowhere near as charming as Wellington, Christchurch, or virtually any other sizable population centre in the shaky isles.

That isn’t to say that Auckland isn’t without its charms, not the least of which is that it’s usually the cheapest place to fly to from Australia.

Auckland Museum is a fun rainy day activity. Image courtesy of Siyamalan.

It’s pretty telling that TripAdvisor’s list of top things to do in Auckland seem to be day trips out of the city, but there are galleries, museums, and memorials aplenty in the city for those who are interested in such things.

When I was last in Auckland, I stayed in the very quaint Verandahs Backpackers. It’s a bit flashier than the usual hostel, with a Colonial feel that makes it a good deal more ‘grown up’ than my usual backpacking digs.

Paihia & The Bay of Islands

A three hour drive north of Auckland, the subtropical Bay of Islands is a natural playground that I completely overlooked on my previous trip to New Zealand.

Whether it’s sedate cruises between the islands, serene scuba diving, adrenaline pumping sandboarding excursions, scenic cycling, or hardcore hiking – the area is one of many examples of New Zealand’s unmatched natural beauty.

It’s the kind of place I’d love to spend a few days exploring and just soaking it all in.

New Zealand’s east coast is an area of rugged beauty. Image courtesy of Graeme Churchard.

Matamata

One of my biggest causes for outrage on my last trip to New Zealand was that my then girlfriend would not acquiesce to my desire to visit Hobbiton.

Don’t tell me you wouldn’t love to overnight in your own hobbit hole. Image courtesy of Tom Hall.

Maybe she hadn’t grown up as enamored of the Lord of the Rings books as I had, but I was more than a little bummed that we wouldn’t be able to make a brief stop in at the filming location that introduced the world to Peter Jackson’s vision of Middle Earth.

The filming set has been kept in good order for tourists, and a cold beverage at the replica Green Dragon Inn would be a must as well.

When it’s all done, a farm stay at one of the local farms would be a nice way to see what rural life is like in NZ.

Rotorua

Onwards to the stinkiest city in New Zealand – Rotorua.

I spent Christmas Day of 2010 exploring Rotorua; taking the scenic gondola to the top of Mount Ngongotaha for a Christmas feast before racing back down to the bottom with the Skyline Luge.

The next day, we’d venture out for some Boxing Day zorbing, before finishing our time in the area with a visit to the world famous Waitomo Glowworm Caves for some blackwater rafting.

My post zorb leap of excitement after trying it in Rotorua, New Zealand.

The area has so much to see and do, and even with a fairly packed three day visit, a brief look at Rotorua Tourism showcases kayaking, white water rafting, Maori cultural tours, treetop walks, geothermal springs, and so much more to be done in the area.

Wellington

Our last stop on the North Island is the Kiwi Capital, Wellington. A far more attractive prospect for tourists than the capital, the Windy City has some well regarded museums, galleries, and attractions to compliment its natural beauty.

For me, Te Papa (New Zealand’s national museum), the Zealandia sanctuary, and the WETA Cave are all on the to do list.

On the natural beauty side of things, Mount Victoria offers up unparalleled views of the city and Oriental Bay – and the city itself is a famed haven for foodies.

Searching for symmetry in Wellington. Image courtesy of Gregory Bodnar.

It’s here we bid farewell to the North Island, taking the ferry from Wellington to Picton on the South Island. At around $300 NZD (including a car) and taking three scenic hours, it’s an adventure all of its own.

Marlborough Wine Region

With Picton being the spot where the ferry docks, it makes sense to spend a few days in the Marlborough region to sample some of New Zealand’s best wine.

There’s something absolutely magical about wine country. Image courtesy of Peter Burge.

I first developed a love for the grape when I took a wine tour of Broke, and have since added to my limited knowledge with wine tours in southern California.

With more than 150 wineries responsible for more than 75% of New Zealand’s wine output, spending a few days soaking in the ambiance (and the wine) sounds like heaven to me.

Franz Josef Glacier

I was lucky enough to climb Franz Josef Glacier on my last visit to New Zealand, and it remains one of the most remarkable experiences of my travelling life.

Enjoying my lunch on Franz Josef Glacier

We opted for the full day hiking experience on my original visit, and I’m so glad that we did. Standing atop such an ancient and powerful force of nature was a humbling experience, and the view was just surreal.

The nearby town of Franz Josef is a quaint little mountain town without a whole lot going on, but it’s hard to match that serenity.

Queenstown

Nestled on the shores of beautiful Lake Wakatipu, Queenstown remains one of my favourite towns on earth. It’s just epitomises the idyllic mountain town, and its tourism industry means it packs a lot to see and do into a small package.

In addition to local activities like zip-lining, hiking, and water sports, Queenstown is the unofficial capital of extreme sports in New Zealand. It’s here you’ll find world-class bungee jumping, canyon swings, and much more.

Queenstown might be the most picturesque town I’ve ever visited. Image courtesy of Andrea Schaffer.

Fiordland National Park

While it’s certainly possible to see and experience a fraction of Milford Sound’s majesty with a day trip from Queenstown, the park itself warrants far more than a cursory examination.

At over 1.2 million hectares, the Fiordland National Park is far more than just its 8th Wonder of the World contender – although you’d be forgiven for thinking it might be hard to top the soaring cliffs and deep waters of the famous site.

Doubtful Sound (sometimes amusing called the Sound of Silence) is a beauty all of its own, and the park’s legendary hiking tracks range from the picturesque to the downright grueling.

Like something out of fantasy, right? Image courtesy of Andy Maw.

Invercargill

From the Fiordlands, it’s the Southern Scenic Route down to Invercargill at the very foot of the country.

Not so much a tourist spot as a place to unwind away from the hustle and bustle of the tourist trail, it’s also an important stop on the aforementioned Southern Scenic Route.

Dunedin

With some of the best preserved Victorian and Edwardian architecture in the entire southern hemisphere, Dunedin could easily be confused with its northern hemisphere equivalent.

There’s something very appealing about the idea of wandering the streets and laneways of Dunedin, visiting New Zealand’s only castle, and exploring the surrounding land on foot or on the famous Taieri Gorge Railway.

There’s beaches, breweries, and a whole lot more. I’m actually ashamed we didn’t hit Dunedin first time around.

Like something out of the Scottish Highlands. Image courtesy of Sally.

Christchurch

I’ve saved one of New Zealand’s best for last.

Despite its continued bad luck with natural disasters, Christchurch remains one of the most beautiful cities in the country. While it’s definitely showing signs of wear after its bad run with earthquakes, there’s still a sense of peace and creative energy to the Garden City.

Christchurch was actually my very first backpacking destination.

Regularly ranked highly in tourism journals as one of the world’s must see cities, Christchurch is creative, bohemian, resilient, quirky, and wonderfully serene. It well and truly won my heart first time around.

It’s from here we’d fly on home or to our next stop.

What would be on your dream NZ Road Trip? Have you made one before?

Did I miss anything that you’d have included?

Have I included something that you think is woefully overrated?

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from Cheapr Travels http://cheaprtravels.com/travel-daydream-the-ultimate-new-zealand-road-trip-2/ via http://cheaprtravels.com

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topfygad · 4 years

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Travel Daydream: The Ultimate New Zealand Road Trip

It’s just you, the wheel, and the open road.

In fact, when you’re a travel blogger who can occasionally get stuff for free, you’d be surprised how quickly friends come out of the woodwork to ask if they can drive you around a country…

Now that I’ve achieved my life long dream of doing a road trip across the US, I’ve had to set my sights on new road trip conquests.

One country I’ve been meaning to revisit and take my time with is New Zealand and, as luck would have it, it’s the perfect country for a road trip.

Our trip packed in the highlights: Auckland, Rotorua, Christchurch, Queenstown, Franz Josef, and Milford Sound.

We even found time to stop off at Nelson for Christmas Eve.

As amazing as that trip was, it left me with a thirst to see it all again at a more sedate pace and in more detail.

Below, you’ll find my dream New Zealand road trip. I’m sure there are some glaring oversights, so feel free to let me know where I’ve fucked up.

Auckland

I’m not alone in finding New Zealand’s largest city to be nowhere near as charming as Wellington, Christchurch, or virtually any other sizable population centre in the shaky isles.

That isn’t to say that Auckland isn’t without its charms, not the least of which is that it’s usually the cheapest place to fly to from Australia.

Auckland Museum is a fun rainy day activity. Image courtesy of Siyamalan.

Paihia & The Bay of Islands

A three hour drive north of Auckland, the subtropical Bay of Islands is a natural playground that I completely overlooked on my previous trip to New Zealand.

It’s the kind of place I’d love to spend a few days exploring and just soaking it all in.

New Zealand’s east coast is an area of rugged beauty. Image courtesy of Graeme Churchard.

Matamata

One of my biggest causes for outrage on my last trip to New Zealand was that my then girlfriend would not acquiesce to my desire to visit Hobbiton.

Don’t tell me you wouldn’t love to overnight in your own hobbit hole. Image courtesy of Tom Hall.

The filming set has been kept in good order for tourists, and a cold beverage at the replica Green Dragon Inn would be a must as well.

When it’s all done, a farm stay at one of the local farms would be a nice way to see what rural life is like in NZ.

Rotorua

Onwards to the stinkiest city in New Zealand – Rotorua.

I spent Christmas Day of 2010 exploring Rotorua; taking the scenic gondola to the top of Mount Ngongotaha for a Christmas feast before racing back down to the bottom with the Skyline Luge.

The next day, we’d venture out for some Boxing Day zorbing, before finishing our time in the area with a visit to the world famous Waitomo Glowworm Caves for some blackwater rafting.

My post zorb leap of excitement after trying it in Rotorua, New Zealand.

Wellington

For me, Te Papa (New Zealand’s national museum), the Zealandia sanctuary, and the WETA Cave are all on the to do list.

On the natural beauty side of things, Mount Victoria offers up unparalleled views of the city and Oriental Bay – and the city itself is a famed haven for foodies.

Searching for symmetry in Wellington. Image courtesy of Gregory Bodnar.

Marlborough Wine Region

With Picton being the spot where the ferry docks, it makes sense to spend a few days in the Marlborough region to sample some of New Zealand’s best wine.

There’s something absolutely magical about wine country. Image courtesy of Peter Burge.

I first developed a love for the grape when I took a wine tour of Broke, and have since added to my limited knowledge with wine tours in southern California.

With more than 150 wineries responsible for more than 75% of New Zealand’s wine output, spending a few days soaking in the ambiance (and the wine) sounds like heaven to me.

Franz Josef Glacier

I was lucky enough to climb Franz Josef Glacier on my last visit to New Zealand, and it remains one of the most remarkable experiences of my travelling life.

Enjoying my lunch on Franz Josef Glacier

The nearby town of Franz Josef is a quaint little mountain town without a whole lot going on, but it’s hard to match that serenity.

Queenstown

Queenstown might be the most picturesque town I’ve ever visited. Image courtesy of Andrea Schaffer.

Fiordland National Park

While it’s certainly possible to see and experience a fraction of Milford Sound’s majesty with a day trip from Queenstown, the park itself warrants far more than a cursory examination.

Doubtful Sound (sometimes amusing called the Sound of Silence) is a beauty all of its own, and the park’s legendary hiking tracks range from the picturesque to the downright grueling.

Like something out of fantasy, right? Image courtesy of Andy Maw.

Invercargill

From the Fiordlands, it’s the Southern Scenic Route down to Invercargill at the very foot of the country.

Not so much a tourist spot as a place to unwind away from the hustle and bustle of the tourist trail, it’s also an important stop on the aforementioned Southern Scenic Route.

Dunedin

With some of the best preserved Victorian and Edwardian architecture in the entire southern hemisphere, Dunedin could easily be confused with its northern hemisphere equivalent.

There’s beaches, breweries, and a whole lot more. I’m actually ashamed we didn’t hit Dunedin first time around.

Like something out of the Scottish Highlands. Image courtesy of Sally.

Christchurch

I’ve saved one of New Zealand’s best for last.

Christchurch was actually my very first backpacking destination.

It’s from here we’d fly on home or to our next stop.

What would be on your dream NZ Road Trip? Have you made one before?

Did I miss anything that you’d have included?

Have I included something that you think is woefully overrated?

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topfygad · 4 years

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Travel Daydream: The Ultimate New Zealand Road Trip

It’s just you, the wheel, and the open road.

In fact, when you’re a travel blogger who can occasionally get stuff for free, you’d be surprised how quickly friends come out of the woodwork to ask if they can drive you around a country…

Now that I’ve achieved my life long dream of doing a road trip across the US, I’ve had to set my sights on new road trip conquests.

One country I’ve been meaning to revisit and take my time with is New Zealand and, as luck would have it, it’s the perfect country for a road trip.

Our trip packed in the highlights: Auckland, Rotorua, Christchurch, Queenstown, Franz Josef, and Milford Sound.

We even found time to stop off at Nelson for Christmas Eve.

As amazing as that trip was, it left me with a thirst to see it all again at a more sedate pace and in more detail.

Below, you’ll find my dream New Zealand road trip. I’m sure there are some glaring oversights, so feel free to let me know where I’ve fucked up.

Auckland

I’m not alone in finding New Zealand’s largest city to be nowhere near as charming as Wellington, Christchurch, or virtually any other sizable population centre in the shaky isles.

That isn’t to say that Auckland isn’t without its charms, not the least of which is that it’s usually the cheapest place to fly to from Australia.

Auckland Museum is a fun rainy day activity. Image courtesy of Siyamalan.

Paihia & The Bay of Islands

A three hour drive north of Auckland, the subtropical Bay of Islands is a natural playground that I completely overlooked on my previous trip to New Zealand.

It’s the kind of place I’d love to spend a few days exploring and just soaking it all in.

New Zealand’s east coast is an area of rugged beauty. Image courtesy of Graeme Churchard.

Matamata

One of my biggest causes for outrage on my last trip to New Zealand was that my then girlfriend would not acquiesce to my desire to visit Hobbiton.

Don’t tell me you wouldn’t love to overnight in your own hobbit hole. Image courtesy of Tom Hall.

The filming set has been kept in good order for tourists, and a cold beverage at the replica Green Dragon Inn would be a must as well.

When it’s all done, a farm stay at one of the local farms would be a nice way to see what rural life is like in NZ.

Rotorua

Onwards to the stinkiest city in New Zealand – Rotorua.

I spent Christmas Day of 2010 exploring Rotorua; taking the scenic gondola to the top of Mount Ngongotaha for a Christmas feast before racing back down to the bottom with the Skyline Luge.

The next day, we’d venture out for some Boxing Day zorbing, before finishing our time in the area with a visit to the world famous Waitomo Glowworm Caves for some blackwater rafting.

My post zorb leap of excitement after trying it in Rotorua, New Zealand.

Wellington

For me, Te Papa (New Zealand’s national museum), the Zealandia sanctuary, and the WETA Cave are all on the to do list.

On the natural beauty side of things, Mount Victoria offers up unparalleled views of the city and Oriental Bay – and the city itself is a famed haven for foodies.

Searching for symmetry in Wellington. Image courtesy of Gregory Bodnar.

Marlborough Wine Region

With Picton being the spot where the ferry docks, it makes sense to spend a few days in the Marlborough region to sample some of New Zealand’s best wine.

There’s something absolutely magical about wine country. Image courtesy of Peter Burge.

I first developed a love for the grape when I took a wine tour of Broke, and have since added to my limited knowledge with wine tours in southern California.

With more than 150 wineries responsible for more than 75% of New Zealand’s wine output, spending a few days soaking in the ambiance (and the wine) sounds like heaven to me.

Franz Josef Glacier

I was lucky enough to climb Franz Josef Glacier on my last visit to New Zealand, and it remains one of the most remarkable experiences of my travelling life.

Enjoying my lunch on Franz Josef Glacier

The nearby town of Franz Josef is a quaint little mountain town without a whole lot going on, but it’s hard to match that serenity.

Queenstown

Queenstown might be the most picturesque town I’ve ever visited. Image courtesy of Andrea Schaffer.

Fiordland National Park

While it’s certainly possible to see and experience a fraction of Milford Sound’s majesty with a day trip from Queenstown, the park itself warrants far more than a cursory examination.

Doubtful Sound (sometimes amusing called the Sound of Silence) is a beauty all of its own, and the park’s legendary hiking tracks range from the picturesque to the downright grueling.

Like something out of fantasy, right? Image courtesy of Andy Maw.

Invercargill

From the Fiordlands, it’s the Southern Scenic Route down to Invercargill at the very foot of the country.

Not so much a tourist spot as a place to unwind away from the hustle and bustle of the tourist trail, it’s also an important stop on the aforementioned Southern Scenic Route.

Dunedin

With some of the best preserved Victorian and Edwardian architecture in the entire southern hemisphere, Dunedin could easily be confused with its northern hemisphere equivalent.

There’s beaches, breweries, and a whole lot more. I’m actually ashamed we didn’t hit Dunedin first time around.

Like something out of the Scottish Highlands. Image courtesy of Sally.

Christchurch

I’ve saved one of New Zealand’s best for last.

Christchurch was actually my very first backpacking destination.

It’s from here we’d fly on home or to our next stop.

What would be on your dream NZ Road Trip? Have you made one before?

Did I miss anything that you’d have included?

Have I included something that you think is woefully overrated?

Want an Aussie in your inbox?

Cheers! Now you’ve just got to confirm your subscription.

Like this:

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