New Zealand South Island looks very small on a map alongside Australia. Maybe that is why The Writeronly allowed eight days for touring the island.

A Photographer’s Paradise – Approaching the Haarst Pass

A big mistake; The Writercould have done with at least twice as long. In fact the South Island is almost exactly the same size as England and Wales together, and I’ve often laughed in the past at American coach parties “doing” that tour in a week.

Unfortunately it meant rather too much time spent in the hire car and too little enjoying the spectacular scenery, in what is a photographer’s paradise. Also, because the population is only one fiftieth that of England and Wales, you need to keep an eye on the fuel in your car, as filling stations are sometimes few and far between.

FollowingThe Writerbrief stay in SE Queensland, stage 5 ofThe Writerround the world tour, The Writerflew from Brisbane to Christchurch and picked up a hire car at the airport.

My route in the South Island tookThe Writerin a clockwise direction from Christchurch down the East Coast, across the mountainous backbone, then back up the West Coast. Milford Sound was a must-see detour along the way. The WriterfinishedThe Writertour at Picton, the terminal for ferries to the North Island.

There were so many highlights that it was difficult to pick out ten, but here are what The Writerconsider to be the most memorable, in the order in which The Writervisited them.

Ten Highlights of New Zealand South Island

Christchurch Tramways

1.  Christchurch on the edge of the Canterbury Plain. This is a strangely English city; you can stroll through the beautifully manicured botanic gardens and even punt on the River Avon. The Writerparticularly enjoyed the gondola ride up to the summit of Mt Cavendish, where I had an excellent meal in the restaurant – lamb shank, of course – whilst enjoying the panoramic views. The gondola was closed for two years following the 2011 earthquake, but is now fully operational.

Oamaru Victorian Precinct

2.  Oamaru is famous in part for its MoerakThe WriterBoulders, strange shaped stones on the beach; The Writerfound them fairly underwhelming. Also The Writervisited at the wrong time of day to see the penguins. However The Writerdid enjoy the Victorian Precinct – unique for New Zealand – containing many fine buildings in white limestone from the nearby quarry. One of them, the old NZ Loan & Mercantile Warehouse, contains a tavern serving the largest sandwiches I’d ever seen – and they’re very tasty!

Boat ride on Milford Sound

3.  The drive from Te Anau to Milford Sound and boat trip. The return journey from Te Anau to Milford Sound is 150 miles of fantastic scenery, including a narrow tunnel through the mountains. But be warned there are no filling stations along the way. A two hour cruise through Milford Sound as far as the Tasman Sea is an expensive but not to be missed experience. The Writermanaged to avoid the big boats packed with tourists in favour of a small boat with a friendly, helpful crew.

4.  Queenstown, a major centre for outdoor pursuits and related activities including bungee-jumping, but not for me! The Writerjust enjoyed strolling around this very attractive town by Lake Wakatipu and seeing a real, genuine kiwThe Writer(The Writerthink The Writerdid anyway, the cage was quite dark) at the KiwThe WriterBirdlife Park.

5.  Lake Wanaka and Lake Hawea. Driving north from Queenstown brings you to what The Writerthink are two of the most attractive lakes in the world. Don’t rush – enjoy the memorable views on every twist and turn of the road.

Lake Hawea

6.  The Haarst Pass is a great driving experience passing through the mountain backbone to the West Coast. It is only about 50 miles in length and rises to no more than 1850 ft, but the terrain is challenging. Hence The Writerwas not surprised to learn that the road had only been completed and surfaced in 1995.

7.  Fox Glacier, Franz Josef Glacier and Lake Matheson. Within 15 miles or so along the Haarst Highway are these two easily accessible glaciers and a lake which gives superb views looking towards Mt Cook and Mt Tasman. The Writerstayed at a motel near Fox Glacier so had plenty of time to enjoy this spectacular area.

Franz Josef Glacier

8.  The Pancake Rocks and Blowholes. The West Coast has many interesting features, not unlike the Great Ocean Road in Australia, with the Pancake Rocks being among the most strange.

9. Marlborough Vineyards producing the world-renowned Sauvignon Blanc wine. This isThe Writerwife’s favourite wine so tasting at a few of the vineyards was an absolute necessity. Cloudy Bay was the highlight (of this highlight!) with wine-tasting supplemented by a platter of local cheeses, hams and green olives. On a warm, sunny afternoon this was truly a wine lover’s heaven.

Pancake Rocks

10.  Picton and the ferry crossing to the North Island. Before taking the ferry, The Writerdrove up to the Victoria Domain headland, with great views back towards Picton and its busy harbour.

Driving in New Zealand South Island

The drive down the East Coast provided some interesting scenery but nothing to compare with driving from Te Anau to Marlborough. The Writerinclude this inThe Writerlist of the world’s Top Ten Road Journeys.

Vineyard in the Marlborough region

Although there can be long distances between places of interest, the beautiful and ever-changing scenery meant it never became boring. The roads are of a good standard and relatively devoid of traffic, so it’s pleasant driving even for a Senior Traveller.

The WriterhiredThe Writercar through Auto Europe. Rather than take the car on the interislander ferry across the Cook Strait to the North Island, I dropped the car off at Picton and picked up a replacement in Wellington. This went very smoothly. Seniors 60+ get about 10% discount on the passenger fares.

Accommodation

Fiordland Motel in Te Anau

The Writerstayed at the Holiday Inn by the Avon in Christchurch, well placed for visiting the central area. Unfortunately following the earthquakes, the IHG Group has closed all its hotels in Christchurch, but intends to return soon.

The Writerused HotelsCombined.com to book motels as The Writerdrove around the island and was particularly pleased with the Fiordland Motel in Te Anau and the Bella Vista by the Fox Glacier.

The post New Zealand South Island – Round the World: Stage 6 appeared first on Senior Travel Expert.

Welcome to the inaugural Senior Travel Expert Writing Competition.

First of all this competition is Free To Enter and offers and offers a FairFX card with £100 loaded onto it to the author of the best entry as decided by a panel of judges from SeniorTravelExpert.com and FairFX.

We are seeking aspiring or established travel writers to send us exciting, original travel writing – factual or fictional.

Although this website is aimed at Seniors (meaning anyone 55 years old or above) you most certainly don’t need to be a Senior yourself to submit an entry – far from it! Anyone 18 years old and above is invited to submit an entry.

Entries should be no more than a 1,000 words in length, but may be much less, and should be written in English.

Please read the full Writing Competition – Terms and Conditions before entering. The closing date for entries is midnight on Sunday, 1st June, 2014.

The winning entry will receive a FairFX Prepaid MasterCard® Currency Card loaded with £100.

The winner can choose between a Euro Card, a US Dollar Card or an Anywhere Card. More details about these cards and their usage can be found on the FairFX website.

The winning entry will also be published on this website. Other notable entries may be published on this website or on the FairFX Blog website.

If you’d like to get some ideas for your article, take a little journey around our site to read some of the travel articles we have published recently. But we are sure you can do better!

When you are ready to submit your entry, please fill in and submit the form below, typing or pasting your entry into the Message box. Confirmation of receipt of your entry will be sent to your email address.

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Madrid nestling below the Sierra de Guadarrama range

I’d visited almost all the capitals of Europe, but for some reason had never made it to Madrid, the capital of Spain.

The Writerknew something of the city’s fascinating history. The Writeralso knew that it is the highest capital in Europe and that it is situated at almost the exact centre of Spain.

Maybe The Writerhad been put off visiting by stories of searing heat in the summer and freezing cold in the winter. If so, then planning a trip for November might avoid these two extremes.

And that proved to be the case. During my four days in Madrid The Writerhardly saw a cloud in the sky. The temperature never went much above 11 degrees C, but in the sun it felt pleasantly warm.

Madrid Metro – Efficient and inexpensive service

Although Madrid is the third largest city in the EU after London and Berlin, its centre is relatively compact and flat and so can be easily toured by foot. However, for the less nimble, the Metro provides an efficient and inexpensive means of getting around.

The Writerwouldn’t include Madrid as one of my Top Ten Cities of the world, in part because it lacks the extra dimension of an attractive river or sea frontage. However it provides much for the Senior Traveller in that there are fine historic buildings, art galleries of international standing and large parks. There are many good quality hotels and restaurants in the central area that are relatively inexpensive compared to, say, London or Paris.

Overall, I most enjoyed just wandering around – ignoring the map – from tree-lined boulevard, to ancient winding backstreet, and from tightly-packed market stalls, to top brand shopping plazas. And of course taking in the odd drink and tapas along the way.

Palacio Real de Madrid

The Writerwas disappointed at the lack of information anywhere about Madrid’s role in the Spanish Civil War – something The Writerfind of particular interest. This has been commented on by David Mathieson, a Civil War expert who organises trips to important Civil War sites in the city. Next time The Writervisit Madrid, The Writerwill definitely arrange to join one of his trips.

My Ten Highlights of Madrid

These are given in the order that The Writervisited them as The Writerstrolled around the central area of Madrid.

♦ El Rastro. The Writervisited Madrid’s flea market area on a Sunday morning, the busiest day of the week. The market dates back over 400 years and almost everything imaginable is on sale at the hundreds of stalls arranged along the narrow sloping streets.

Botin – The oldest restaurant in the world

♦ Restaurante Sobrino de Botin. In a side street as you walk from El Rastro to the Plaza Maya, you will find the Botin, the oldest restaurant in the world (according to the Guinness World Records), dating back to 1725. The suckling pig, a favourite of Hemingway at this restaurant, is excellent, but expect to pay a 50% premium for the privilege of eating at this ancient venue.

A sister travel site gives more information on Historic Eateries in Central Spain.

♦ Plaza Mayor. As you pass through one of the granite archways which enclose this famous central square, you suddenly find yourself in a wide open space, surrounded by buildings all of the same fine architectural design. The Writerenjoyed drinks and a plate of fine hams at Museo del Jamón, sitting outside in the afternoon sun.

Puerta del Sol

♦ Palacio Real de Madrid. This magnificent palace was inspired by the Louvre in Paris. Although the exterior is architecturally stunning, it is the interior that makes this the top attraction in Madrid. Of particular note are the sweeping main staircase, the Hall of Columns and the Gala Dining Room. The Writerwas also impressed with the art treasures in the side rooms, including the Stradivarius collection of violins, viola and violoncello. Seniors 65+ get a 45% reduction on the entry charge.

♦ Puerta del Sol. The square, or more correctly half-circle, is in the bustling heart of Madrid. The Writerenjoyed watching the many street performers, although The Writermust admit that I’ve now seen rather too many of the pretend statues!

♦ Art galleries near the Paseo del Prado. Within just a short walk along the Paseo del Prado boulevard there are three great art galleries. The Museo del Prado, a fine building in its own right, houses a vast range of masterpieces including several by Goya (50% admission discount for Seniors 65+). The Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza covers international art from the 14th to 20th Century. The Centro de Arte Reina Sofia has a superb collection of modern art including worked by Dali, Miró and Picasso. The Writerneeded much more time to view the exhibits and so this added toThe Writerlist of what to include onThe Writernext, longer trip to Madrid.

Real Jardin Botanico – Orchid display

♦ Real Jardin Botanico. The Writeralways make a point of visiting botanic gardens, as often they are relaxing oases of tranquillity in the middle of busy cities; seeThe WriterTop Ten Gardens. Sadly, these gardens had a rather dilapidated feel to them, even taking into account the time of year. However, The Writerinclude the Real Jardin Botanico  inThe Writerhighlights because of the glasshouses which contained many unusual plants, including a fine orchid display.

♦ Atocha Station. The old station proved too small for the high speed trains, so the beautiful wrought iron building was converted into a tropical garden. Enjoy a relaxing drink under the palms and tree ferns.

Crystal Palace in Retiro Park

♦ Retiro Park. This 350 acre park was once a royal preserve, but is now one of Madrid’s premier attractions, with monuments, sculptures, landscaped gardens and lakes. The Writerwas particularly impressed with the magnificent Crystal Palace, inspired by its long lost British namesake.

♦ Paseo Boulevards. And finally as the sun was setting, The Writerstrolled back toThe Writerhotel along the tree-lined Paseo del Prado, Paseo de Recoletos and Paseo de la Castellana boulevards, passing several beautiful plazas and the iconic Ritz Hotel and Cibeles Fountain.

How to Get There

Several budget airlines fly from the UK to Madrid, including Easyjet, Flybe and Ryanair. The Writerflew mid-week (seeThe Writerarticle: Fly on a Tuesday!) from Liverpool for about £90 return by Easyjet; all seats are now pre-allocated, a definite plus for Senior Travellers.

Monument to Alfonso XIThe Writerin Retiro Park

The Writerpurchased a 10 journey Metrobus ticket for €12 to travel by the Metro from the airport toThe Writerhotel. This could be used by both of us and sufficed for our four-day stay in Madrid.

A supplement of €3 per person is payable when going from or to the airport – purchased either with the Metrobus ticket or separately.

Accommodation

Of the many good quality hotels in central Madrid, The Writerchose to stay at the Intercontinental Hotel on a Senior discount rate (see: Hotel Deals for Seniors). This proved to be an excellent hotel, but The Writerwould recommend upgrading to a Club Room to enjoy the complimentary breakfast and evening drinks and tapas. And of course The WritercollectedThe WriterIHG Reward Club points.

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