#you know 'Edwardian Farm' right? well.. I just found........ 'VICTORIAN farm'! | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

jeanjauthor · 3 years

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(Made up bit heavily inspired by bit with much much better women’s rights) In England late mediveal or early renaissance time, how would I put a bridge on a very large and wide river that large ships like cogs and big carraks can get under? I’d like to keep to that time period as closely as possible (but with different women’s rights) but I realised I need big carraks and cogs to go up a river I need many bridges on. Would swing bridges do? What would those be made of in those times? Stone?Wood?

eGood to know! Presuming a world without magic...if it's late medieval / early renaissance, just use drawbridges.

Understand that your boats will have to be smaller than most seagoing vessels. However,that doesn't mean they cannot be quite useful, and it doesn't mean they cannot be sailboats; they can! They just need to be more slender and shorter--not just to navigate between the central support pillars for said drawbridges, but also simply to navigate the twists and turns of any river.

This particular scene from the BBC's Edwardian Farm series has an example of just such a boat: https://youtu.be/obIWqJlxniY?t=1030 You should watch it, even though they're actually just discussing using quicklime to neutralize the acidity of the local soils, and how they're importing coal for use in burning in the lime kilns.

The most important feature of the scene for our discussion is how it shows the size of cargo ship that would sail up a slow, calm river. The various boats that sailed up and down the Yangtze River, the Nile, Hudson River, the Mississippi, the gazillion waterways of the Amazon and more, all of these had a lot of river-based commerce. Even the canals of Angkor Wat had a great deal of commerce via boat.

In some cases, such as at Angkor Wat, they would have had stevedores (dockworkers) standing by at bridge causeways that boats couldn't cross. These workers would literally offload cargo from one canal boat, carry it a few yards across the street to the next canal's boat, load it there, and send it on its way along a different canal system. (You'd have to see how the roads and canals at Angkor Wat were built to understand this system.) In other locations, they would have boat-pontoons serving as a floating bridge that could be unlashed and moved out of the way so that cargo ships could cross, and there would often be regular times for these switchups to occur.

But if you're dealing with late medieval / renaissance levels of ingenuity, then winches, gears, capistans, etc, would all be a part of their canal system, with broad, stoutly made drawbridges being drawn up and lowered down at regular points in the day.

Some of these pulley systems could be animal-powered (horse, mule, oxen, whatever), or it could be a wheel that a man would walk along, kind of like a hamster wheel, such as the kind found here: https://youtu.be/s46qP1l39V8?t=628 Though it's a long zoom in, you can see toward the end there are actual humans inside thos wheels, walking slowly to raise and lower whatever needs to get up to the building site. A drawbridge system would be no different.

You can also use folding masts. Since you're not dealing with a specific real-world place-and-time, you can borrow from other eras and traditions, including ancient historical methods, such as the bipod mast: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bipod_mast These were used as far back as the 3rd millenium BCE to sail up and down the Nile...which admittedly didn't have bridges to sail under, but the stability of the bipod mast made it easy to lay it down without overbalancing the ship.

With some clever hinges and pulleys and gears, a Renaissance shipmaster could make a system that would allow the sails to be quickly brought down...though to maintain forward motion when going upstream, they'd probably have to pay a lining service a fee to line the ship upstream. Here's an example of how to line a canoe upstream along a river from Far North Bushcraft And Survival: https://youtu.be/ZQ7940-M5mM

This is literally the same system used to maneuver canal barges upstream (and down!), powered by horsepower, literal horses, donkeys, mules, oxen, etc. This particular scene from the Victorian Farm series shows one such canal barge being used to deliver a load of coal, as they would've done in the Victorian era: https://youtu.be/Ccjyt7BQEVU?t=1374 In the scene, they talk about how it's "...a fly boat, going day and night; they change out the horses..." to indicate that these were in constant use. You can see how there's a path built under the bridge for the horse to walk along.

The barge would be manned and steered in most cases, since that's easier than doing it manually by the two-line method, but they'd still probably have two lines on the boat in most instances, in case the helmsman fell asleep, or there was a change in the current, etc. There would also be strict "lanes" for upstream versus downstream traffic, ideally with walkways on each side so as to keep the lines from tangling--this would be in use in areas with really flat slow/sluggish water, not enough room to use galley oars, not enough room to set sails, yet you still want your cargo to head downstream at more than a snail's pace with the natural current (ideal for big cities).

Small barges could also be poled like the gondolae of Venice, but again, that's small barges, since there's only so much effort poling can manage before it becomes nigh impossible not only to get up to speed, but also to slow down to make a turn, to stop, etc. So consider if your river is slow, if it's a series of canals, how many bridges there are, what sort of workforce there might be for loading & unloading, and for portaging.

To portage is to go around an obstacle that a boat (of whatever size) cannot safely manage. The most famous portages were done by the voyageurs of the fur trade in Canada, where they'd come upon a stretch of rapids too dangerous to traverse or have to leave the river they're on to go in the direction they need to get to the next river or lake system, etc. At that point, the fur trappers/canoers would get out, offload their cargo, and carry it and their canoes--sometimes for miles!--to the next navigable stretch of water...and most cases they'd have to set up camp when they got there, then go back for everything that got left behind, and haul all of that to the new spot.

In many cases in the wilderness, they'd leave 1-2 behind to guard said provisions, etc, either at the offloading site or the final destination site. But if you're dealing with a civilized/settled area, they wouldn't necessarily have to do that, but might instead arrange passage with wagoners / caravaners, the people who got paid to transport river-shipped goods between two points overland.

There are also the possibilities for canal locks (the ancient Romans had a precursor to the system we know of today) as well, but it honestly depends on how much that region has decided to put in the effort to dig and construct and manage them. If it's wealthy, has a history of innovation, and/or relies heavily upon river commerce, then it's quite possible. But most likely, drawbridges and folding masts are going to be ideal.

Just remember that those ships and masts are not going to be designed to withstand open-ocean travel or hurricane force winds, nor to carry hundreds of tons. River ships are not going to be the same as ocean or sea going vessels. For example:

"During the time of King Philip II's reign (1556-98), the Spanish galleon increased in size and capacity. For example, while the earlier galleons had capacities for 120 toneladas (Spanish tons), the post-1560 galleons tended to cross thresholds of 330 toneladas." (https://www.realmofhistory.com/2019/06/07/galleon-spanish-warship-facts/ )

Or: "...a typical American barge measures 195 by 35 feet (59.4 m × 10.7 m), and can carry up to about 1,500 short tons (1,400 t) of cargo." (from the entry on Barges, Wikipedia)

These might seem like good resources, but those galleons are oceanic vessels far too large and/or deeply drafted for river navigation, and those barges are modern ones meant for the lower Mississippi River. The latter are also powered by engines, not by wind, oar, or musclepower (animals or humans lining the boat along the riverbank).

Unless your river is huge--at which point ferries will be your ideal method of crossing, rather than bridges--your river-running ships will be small, sleek, relatively shallow drafted, will most likely have collapsing sails, oars for windless days, ropes for lining (even if their own crew has to do it), so on and so forth.

...You can still have bridges without drawbridges, if your river runs through a canyon deep enough that the bridge will clear the masts naturally, or your engineers invest in long, long, long ramps leading up to and over the central arch spanning the deepest part of the river...and invest in lots of riprap (rocks specifically placed for lining the banks of the river to prevent erosion, etc). Unfortunately, most rivers flowing through canyons flow too fast and hard to make good safe transportation routes...and really tall bridges exhaust humans and animals alike in passing over them, so...it's not very likely.

One last consideration: the river itself. Here is a snippet of a video I took when I had the opportunity to go on a Rhein River Cruise (Viking Cruiseline). The cruisehip is docked. It is not moving.

The Rhein really does flow this fast (up near Switzerland, iirc, but all throughout the trip as well), and it only slowed down somewhat at certain points. The banks in the city zones (and even much of the countryside) are lined with riprap (stones fitted and cemented into place to control the river flow and prevent erosion), and yes, there were a few canal locks along the route. A lot of that riprap was laid in earlier centuries, some of it late renaissance (and much of it repaired since then).

We were warned that if there was a lot of rain during our trip (this trip took place in May) causing a lot of runoff to flow into the river, there was a bridge downstream (near the Netherlands) where we might actually have to disembark from this ship literally cross the street for that bridge, and get onto another cruise ship on the downstream side of the bridge. Why? Because if the river level rose too much, this ship would not be able to cross under that bridge.

Now, the ship's top deck was disassembled to pass under other bridges. It literally had awnings and roofs on hinges that could be lowered to as flat as possible...and yet there was still a bridge they knew they couldn't pass under if the river level rose too high. Even with modern tech, etc, there will be obstacles like this.

So consider that for your rivers and your commerce. In spring and autumn, the water might run too high, perhaps even too wild, for safe & easy river travel. Portaging might be the answer. Or your characters might be crossing over the bridge which has an angry river crew arguing with the city guard about why they can't take their ship under the bridge (because it could damage the bridge, it's the wrong season, etc).

...You can also have droughts (oftentimes in high summer) which could cause the river to become too shallow for boats to pass in certain sections, or they'll have to lighten their cargo to avoid getting mired in the mud, etc.

And if your story is set in a region with cold winters, snow, ice, etc...the river might freeze. This poses a whole host of transportation problems, but then transport wasn't often done in the depths of winter, save maybe for foods brought from the storage barns of local farms. If the rivers don't freeze over, water travel is still possible, though hypothermia is still a danger.

If they freeze only a little bit, still possible...but once the ice gets thick along the edges, it becomes dangerous to try to "cut" through the ice with a boat of any size. This can include ice that is too thick to get the boat close enough to shore to exchange cargo and/or passengers, but also the possibility of ice actually damaging a ship's hull.

And of course merely walking on the ice is sheer danger, unless you know exactly what to look for, how deep it needs to be, etc, to be crossed safely--the idyllic picture of the Dutch ice skating along their canals doesn't cover the fact that many people fell through the ice because they hit a stretch that was too thin to support their weight. Certainly history doesn't tell us exactly how many perished, though logic assures us that many surely did--either idiots who didn't check the ice depth, or who were young and recklessly brave enough to be foolhardy, an unexpected warming of the water coming downstream thinning out the ice in a specific spot in the channel, etc, etc, etc.

River boat crews would be aware of such potential dangers, and would not want to travel in icy conditions if it was at all avoidable. Which brings us to living on a riverboat, and how to keep warm in winter when the hull is literally in constant contact with icy cold water...but that's another discussion entirely. If the canals are in constant use, the water "might not" freeze over because it'd be constantly disturbed by the passage of all those boats...but it also could, especially if a bad winter storm shut down travel for a few days.

Mostly, river boats would be lifted out of the water if at all possible before the river iced over (which the locals would know about). Why? Because ice expands, and it would expand horizontally into those hulls, cracking them. Water and ice are incredibly powerful forces that we often underestimate. This means that winter is the time when boats would be brought ashore, tipped onto their sides, the hulls scraped free of river mussels and barnacles and whatnot, sections would be repaired, the hulls re-tarred, and other maintenance issues tended to.

If river commerce slows or stops in the winter due to ice issues, then you'll have wagons and/or sleighs, etc, bringing in the goods...but again, your horses or other draft animals will have a harder time working in cold weather. Your cities will therefore want most of their goods brought into the city's storehouses before winter falls, if it's an area with harsh winters.

If they're just rainy and wet and miserable for the most part (*cough* the greater Seattle region (*cough*)...then flooding will be your biggest concern. If it's a region with seasonal droughts & monsoons...you could have a whole host of problems, but you'd also probably want retention ponds and lakes to help keep the river flowing--fill them up in the stormy season and let out some of that water in the dry season to keep the river at a hopefully passable depth.

Bridges (and drawbridges), boats, and rivers are all part and parcel with the equation.

One more thing, if your local region is building a bridge in the story (a common occurrence in the renaissance in many towns), it doesn't have to be a part of the story directly, but can be mentioned second-hand, like one of your characters can say, "avoid the Baker's Bridge--remember, they're doing repairwork on it."

If this is a thing you want to toss into the story (it makes your town feel alive, a growing and changing thing, without having to go into exhaustive detail), then remember that the architects will have hopefully taken all the shipping and transportation needs into account...but that section of the river or canal will be blocked by scaffolding, requiring everyone to portage around it. If it is a river split in two by an island, or it's a canal shooting off from or paralleling the main river, you'll still be able to have commerce up and down the river, but it will cause that river travel to be thicker and more prone to clogs, blockages, accidents, arguments, etc.

These are little details you can put into your story to give your world more depth without having to go into exhaustive detail.

Good luck, and I hope at least some of that helped!

#answers #rivers #bridges #drawbridges #river transport #river based commerce #renaissance worldbuilding

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acreasy1 · 7 years

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I was tagged by @joi-in-the-tardis Thank you, my friend!! :D

THE LAST: 1. Drink: Iced Coffee (I’m still working on it...) 2. Phone call: My mom- called to let her know we were almost home. 3. Text message: My hubby 4. Song you listened to: Human, Rag’n’bone Man 5. Time you cried: Last night on the way home...and maybe in on the way to work this morning? I can’t remember. HAVE YOU: 6. Dated someone twice: Yes 7. Kissed someone and regretted it: No 8. Been cheated on: I better not have been. 9. Lost someone special: Yes 10. Been depressed: Yes 11. Gotten drunk and thrown up: No. And I’m 38. I don’t like puking and I’m not a huge fan of alcohol. So... LIST 3 FAVOURITE COLORS: 12. Blue 13. Green 14. Pink IN THE LAST YEAR HAVE YOU: 15. Made new friends: I have, as a matter of fact! 16. Fallen out of love: No 17. Laughed until you cried: I don’t think so...I laugh a lot, though... 18. Found out someone was talking about you: I don’t exactly lead an exciting life. I doubt anyone takes the time to talk about me. lol 19. Met someone who changed you: No? I mean...not that I”m aware of. 20. Found out who your friends are: Yes? This question seems so loaded. 21. Kissed someone on your Facebook list: I have! GENERAL: 22. How many of your Facebook friends do you know in real life: Nearly all of them. 23. Do you have any pets: We have a couple fish in an aquarium. 24. Do you want to change your name: I changed my name when I got married... Well, my last name. I’m fine with Mandy as my first name. I’m rather used to it. 25. What did you do for your last Birthday: Oh! We were in Tennessee and on vacation! We went to the Smoky Mountains National Park and to a dinner show! It was pretty much the best birthday ever! 26. What time did you wake up: The alarm went off at 6:15, but I didn’t drag my sorry butt out of bed till 6:32. 27. What were you doing at midnight last night: Sleeping. Mmmm....sleep 28. Name something you can’t wait for: We are going to the Adirondacks Sept. 10-15. I’m pretty excited about that!! 29. When was the last time you saw your mom: Yesterday! :D We drove out to visit my mom and dad over the weekend. 30. What is one thing you wish you could change in your life: I wish everything wasn’t such a damned emotional challenge. I can’t just ever *do* anything, there’s always like a ton of “mental paperwork” that I have to go through first. It’s exhausting. 31. What are you listening right now: The sound of typing and some of my co-workers on the phone. 32. Have you ever talked to a person named Tom: I’m not sure. Probably? 33. Something that is getting on your nerves: I just wish people could mind their own business. 34. Most visited Website: Probably either Tumblr or Facebook LOST QUESTIONS. I JUST PUT IN RANDOM INFO ABOUT ME 35. Mole/s: I have one on my neck, and a very light tiny little one on my cheek. 36. Mark/s: Like scars? On my arms, one on my left pointer finger (KFC accident!) and various others on my knees and such from...being a kid. 37. Childhood dream: I just wanted to get married. Like...that was always my life’s ambition. Careers are for other people, not for me. I wanted to be a wife. 38. Haircolour: Blonde. It’s getting a little darker as I get older, but it’s still blonde like it always was. 39. Long or short hair: Long-ish? I can put it in a pony tail and a bun, so....I’m going with longish. 40. Do you have a crush on someone: CE? :D <3 41. What do you like about yourself: I am silly and fun. 42. Piercings: My ears are pierced but I haven’t worn earrings in like 2 years. 43. Bloodtype: O+ 44. Nickname: Mandy, Mando, Wifey, 45. Relationship status: Married 46. Zodiac: Taurus 47. Pronouns: She/Her 48. Favourite TV Show: Doctor Who, Simpsons (old ones!), Golden Girls, all of the Farm shows from BBC- Wartime Farm, Victorian Farm, Tudor House, Edwardian Farm..., Downton Abbey, Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries... 50. Right or left hand: Lefty 51. Surgery: I will die before I let someone chop into me. Thanks. 52. Hair dyed in different color: I get highlights sometimes, but not recently. Right now it’s pretty much just my normal hair color, grays and all. 53. Sport: ... I don’t like playing sports all that much. I am uncoordinated and hate being embarrassed. 55. Vacation: I’d love to go on a vacation that I didn’t worry about before we went. Hahahaha. Dare to dream. 56. Pair of trainers: I don’t really have a favorite pair. Just...they’re good for walking. Yep. MORE GENERAL: 57. Eating: I do this, every single day, without fail! 58. Drinking: Diet Pepsi, milk, coffee, tea, water, uh...those are the most common. 59. I’m about to: Get back to work- this is taking longer than I thought it would! lol 61. Waiting for: 4:00. I want to go home. (It’s 9:43. Not good.) 62. Want: To stop feeling like I need to cry all the time. God, it gets old! I am so tired of just feeling perpetually sad. 63. Get married: Task completed 9-18-04 64. Career: No thank you. I am a data processor, but that’s just a job. 65. Hugs or kisses: Both 66. Lips or eyes: You can kiss with lips, so I’ll go that way! 67. Shorter or taller: I like taller, but I’ll take shorter, too. lol 68. Older or younger: It’s funny because...I just like talking to people- age sometimes doesn’t matter so much. :) 70. Nice arms or nice stomach: Um...arms, I guess? 71. Sensitive or loud: Sensitive. I’m not happy hanging around with loud people. I want to run. 72. Hook up or relationship: Relationship 73. Troublemaker or hesitant: Hesitant. If you make me mad, though, I’m pretty direct. HAVE YOU EVER 74. Kissed a stranger: No 75. Drank hard liquor: No 76. Lost glasses/contact lenses: No (I don’t have them, so...) 77. Turned someone down: Yes 78. Sex in the first date: No 79. Broken someone’s heart: Yes 80. Had your heart broken: Yes... 81. Been arrested: No 82. Cried when someone died: Yes 83. Fallen for a friend: Yes DO YOU BELIEVE IN: 84. Yourself: I rely on myself, but I’m not sure if I believe in myself. 85. Miracles: Not so much. 86. Love at first sight: Not really 87. Santa Claus: Why wouldn’t I? He’s real!! ;) 88. Kiss on the first date: I haven’t dated for like 20 years. 89. Angels: I don’t know. Not really. Maybe? If they’re real, just like everything else, I doubt they care. They’re just around. Doing their own stuff. OTHER: 90. Current best friends name: Kristin, but we call each other Friend! :D 91. Eyecolour: Blue 92. Favourite movie: Some Like It Hot, Big Trouble in Little China, Adventures in Babysitting, Almost Heroes, Maverick, alll the movies from my youth! lol Tagging: @chocolate-and-fandoms, @chiaroscuroverse, @ciara-jane, @badwolfinthetxrdis, @fleurdeneuf, @hanluvr, and anybody else who would like to play along! Come join in!

#meme thing #about me #<3 #mandy talks

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katrinadizzle-blog · 7 years

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History Challenge, rebooted.

Now that I learned some things about cc & have been thinking about history (BECAUSE MY SIMS GAMES AREN’T FUNCTIONING RIGHT AND TERRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE FROM EA, but... different rant:), I’ve decided to restart my beginner family! I am crazy. Legitimately crazy. I’m going to do 15 generations, people. Maybe even more than one generation in each era. Why am I a history and literature nerd? :(

Disclaimer: Eurocentric, cause that’s what is taught in schools, and I’m more familiar with it. :/

Stone Age!

North Africa somewhere, the Neolithic Era only. Flintstones-flavored. Pastimes: survival, making the babehs, fishing, farming.

Bronze Age!

Egypt c. 2000 bc

Writing focus. Farming, etc. Apparently when Egypt was most famous. Lots of kitties. :D

I didn’t really want to play this era just because there’s already a (current day) Egypt in game, and I think it’s weird to do both past and present, when I’m not even planning on landing there in the future generation. But I can’t think of another culture that exemplifies the Bronze Age writing better. But also, it’s very late and I’m tired. Suggestions?

Celts c. 500 bc

Polytheism and witchy stuff! The Island of women!! Boudica and so on. Or, I could cut this and replace my “island of women” want with making Valhalla down with the vikings. But, I feel like this is the closest culture to my own culture on this list, as Damion is pagan with lots of druid-influences and we are married and I have studied/considered the religion myself. Also, how cool would a bagpipe be for custom content?! Does that exist?! Can someone make it?! 😍

Greece, c. 320 bc

Logic, sciencey stuff and aliens. Cool temples.

Rome, c. 40 bc

I didn’t want to play this one, because the cultures are so similar due to assimilation but I think I have to, unless I can come up with some sort of cultural transition. I could maybe do Mount Olympus though, out of a giant mountain, which could be fun. I could play with gods here, but keep them silent in the Greece era so it’s somewhat different gameplay. Or, play somehow with Jesus? Lol, but I don’t want him or his dad to smite me for being a snit ⚡️

Iron Age!

Scandinavia, c. 1000 ac

The vikings! I am going to make a legitimate longboat here using Island Paradise. Might be setting some random villages on fire with witches.

Late Middle Ages!

England, c. 1450

You guys know about my Henry VIII obsession? Well. I’ll leave it at that.*

*Henry VIII was technically born outside of this era but it’s so close and history ages aren’t always exactly right and did I mention I love the morbid Henry VIII era for some reason?!*

Early Modern Age!

England, c. 1590

Shakespeare! Renaissance! Art! Writing! Queen Elizabeth! Peace, finally.

Some western state, America c. early 1800s

The old west!* Lawlessness! Probably based off West World because I’m so original like that.

Actually this is kind of also in the Victorian Age but I wanted to portray both sides :x

America or England, c. late 1800s/early 1900s

The Victorian Age! Combined with Edwardian. My favorite. Maybe modeled after the American Girl doll Samantha (don’t hate 😂) if in America or Frankenstein (maybe?) if in England. OR BOTH. F it. Either way, fascination with the supernatural for sure. :3 And prudishness. And all the pretty dresses and houses! 😍

New Orleans (probably), 1920s

Dancing, mixology and woohooing. My people are going to have so much fun.

+ (or separate)

America, 1930s

The Great Depression. Because hardship builds character! Mostly because I like to torture my sims, though. :) I’m thinking 1920s could be my generation’s young adult years and then adult would be The Depression?

Washington, DC, 1950s

Because they were all wholesome and stuff. Most of my motivation for this comes from the cute 50s diner custom content I have found, honestly.

America, somewhere, 2016

I could put Trump as president! And everybody so sad, etc.

America, somewhere, future

I could play the dystopian future from the game. :3 Maybe rocket science, cause space! Should I separate the races out too, into Eloi and Morlocks? 😂But, also this seems like a pessimistic ending and it’s pretty depressing to let my poor sims suffer so bad after playing them for centuries. I mean, at least during the other sucky parts of history, there will be a happier part of history to look forward to, right?

OR. I could do this, and then someone, maybe a Doctor Who character? could activate the time machine and save the sims and make it the happy future. And then they figure out that sucks and it goes neutral again. It gets pretty timey wimey in that scenario though, and then that makes like 20 million generations, so I guess we will see how I feel at that point. I am protesting EA for at least a couple of expansions, so I’ll be playing ts3 for a while though anyway. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Also, I skipped the Enlightenment Era, because I just don’t care for it much. It’s okay, but it’s... like a Wednesday: it’s not terrible Monday, but it’s still not close enough to the weekend to feel happy. 👎

#history challenge #the sims 3 #crazy

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

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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.

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topfygad · 4 years

Text

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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