EPIC DAY TRIP From Christchurch To Akaroa, Little River, Banks Peninsula, New Zealand 🇳🇿

[@T3mpestwulf617]

That was a siren you heard when up the mountain which perfectly echo's through the valley. They're old air raid sirens which are used to call the volunteer fire brigade in when there's an emergency. I'm in Levin and we have two in own. They can be loud, haunting, but I love the sound of it.

[@GlenAndMado]

oh wow, that's what we thought!

[@iamnotmental]

yeah i live in a small town in the south island NZ and we have that same siren, it's an old WW2 siren that calls in the volunteer fire fighters because they have other jobs, nothing to be scared about

[@christinemariadebski4198]

Thank you for a very sightful and enjoyable video. New Zealand is quite unique and has something to offer for everyone. All the best.

[@MarkMcLT]

Might be the first time Akaroa has been described as tropical :)

[@GlenAndMado]

you got that right from glen and mado! haha

[@margandjimdietrich9598]

It’s a shame you didn’t get to see The Giant House inAkaroa , it is an amazing garden with enormous ceramic sculptures. Unfortunately it is not well published as it should be but I think it is well worth visiting, created by one lady, a true artist.

[@GlenAndMado]

Believe it or not but we went there to check it out and intended to go in there but the entrance was a bit too expensive for us and we've seen amazing mosaic parks before so decided to skip this one🙈

[@s36e175]

@@GlenAndMado maybe worth mentioning when you do that, especially if you're suggesting Akaroa was a bit boring. The Giant's House is a highlight for most visitors.

[@Creature-Features]

@@GlenAndMadoits really worth the price- 👍 The Giants House is an amazing place!

[@nikiTricoteuse]

Yeah. You beat me to it. Absolutely amazing place and well worth the entry fee.

[@shunta1984]

Gahhhhh i miss that place. Pleased you enjoyed the cheese place team!! That siren is based at the camping ground, its the local fire whistle calling the volunteers in the area to go to the fire station and jump in the truck to attend a fire. Went off one morning beside our tent at 6am and scared the dinner from the night before out of us!

[@GlenAndMado]

Hello kent brother! sure head back noting stopping you 😉 the cheese was nice but not sure if its the best we have had yet. we honestly loved the cheese in Omaru recently it was tops! anyways the cheese made our sandwiches better anyways 😂 ohh man that sounds like a horror story, especially if you didn't know why the siren is going of! sounds like the siren when the world is about to end 😂😂

[@christophermarshall527]

Thank you for another great episode!! Love how even when ill you are still obviously having great fun!!

[@GlenAndMado]

Thanks for watching🥰 We always try to stay positive and make the most of it😅🤗

[@mikem922]

Epic day especially for Mado who was clearly under the weather. I noticed how Mado perked-up a little at the cheese factory and Germans love their cheese for sure. Akaroa is a little gem and a great day trip from Christchurch. Thanks for showcasing the beauty especially on your hike.

[@GlenAndMado]

I think you got that right, I felt she brightened up too after abit of cheese 😂 maybe abit of fresh air helped too. we enjoyed the view the most! :)

[@MothershipVideos]

That was funny at the end. Great stuff.

[@GlenAndMado]

Thanks for watching🤗

[@michaelnolan6951]

Hi guys! I'm sorry that the weather wasn't great and that you weren't feeling the best. One thing NZ doesn't have is much architectural history. As underwhelming as Akaroa can seem to someone from the Northern Hemisphere, it literally has some of the oldest buildings in NZ. (As a matter of fact, just outside Akaroa is the Onawe peninsula. It was the site of Te Rauparaha's roaring rampage of revenge in 1831. The Pa there still has visible trenches and fortifications. Up to 1200 people were massacred by Te Rauparaha. My high school history class did a field trip there back in the early 90s) The sirens at the 30 minute mark are old air raid sirens repurposed as the local firefighters alarm. (Fun fact: my Grandmother served on an Anti Aircraft gun on Godley Head above Lyttelton Harbour during WWII. She once shot at an Australian plane, thinking it was Japanese!) Opposite Akaroa is Wainui. As a little kid I have stayed at the YMCA summer camp there. There was a raft tethered not too far from the beach where the Hector's Dolphins would come and play with the kids. Have fun on the rest of your stay and hopefully the weather will be better as you move into summer!

[@gretchenboyd69]

I think my family member was the one that gave the order to shoot. The story sounds very familiar.

[@ernesttravers829]

Fabulous videos, but were you two spreading covid around Akaroa? The danger of backpackers !!!!!!!!

[@lesleyhughes3174]

​@@ernesttravers829doubt that any tourists bother taking testing kits with them, unfortunately. Would come right down the list of necessities going by my experiences. I'm a fulltime SC nomad here and see and hear that which is important in too many minds sadly

[@nikiTricoteuse]

​@@lesleyhughes3174The sadder thing is that they could have got testing kits for free from any pharmacy at any time.

[@lesleyhughes3174]

Such a stunning part of our country.

[@SohailKhan-uh7od]

Very Nice Sharing

[@ForevermoreVibe]

nice, stay safe.

[@jasonpayneuk]

Hey guys, merry Christmas to you both (I hope you’ve found a great family to stay with in Dunedin for the big day?) your videos really help keep me going till I can come back home again! You’re such champions for making that trip to Akaroa when you’re feeling less than 100%!

[@JamesStonley]

I'm from England but now call this place home. How lucky am I

[@GlenAndMado]

You got that right! Your living in paradise my friend

[@antonlawrence638]

That was funny, we went to Akaroa on the same day, you parked next to us, we were in the silver Estima. The wind sure was brutal. Ended up staying in a silo at Little River, highly recomed. Happy travels.

[@GlenAndMado]

haha whats the chances! but we talked to you right and we told you about our channel? or you just came across the video randomly?? Don't remember the wind be bad though lol.

[@antonlawrence638]

@@GlenAndMado We watch a few travel vlogs so just came up as a recomendation. As we strated watching we comented how it looked like the day we were there! We drove back along the tourist high rd and down to Okains Bay, wind was coming staright in so bailed back to Litle River. Perhaps you Irish are used to the cold Norterlies back home, was a bit much for us soft Aucklanders.

[@GlenAndMado]

Oh, that's awesome then, and that has happened a lot lately; anyone we meet seems to get recommended now. We hope you had a lovely day anyway, no matter what the circumstances were, haha :) I love the cold, though. It makes you stronger, my friend, and yeah, cold is a bit different in Ireland; the breeze hits your bones.

[@modfus]

"Maybe you should concentrate on driving" - lol, you're in trouble again Glen😁.

[@DeathstarBaby]

The french whalers It's great during the french festival and the lovely garden of Tane Please remember that the population of New Zealand is tiny compared to anywhere else So not as busy as most other places around the world

[@feleciawallace8420]

Hope guys feel better soon... onward.

[@richardcaldwell9160]

Stunning scenery, egg recipes - you have become essential viewing for me along with Coronation Street. Merry Christmas Glen & Mado x

[@GlenAndMado]

awh Richard your an absolute legend and Gent! wait so your watching Coronation street from the Uk Then?? Merry Christmas 🎅 have a very special day and cherish it with your family and friends :)

[@rogerb4436]

In my experience that sound is usually a call for Volunteer Fire Fighters as they don't have dedicated fire fighters that live on-site in the firehouse They sound the siren and firefighters leave there jobs and head to firestation.

[@GlenAndMado]

awh thanks for the clarification Roger :) good on them! very cool way to get siren the firefighters.

[@BoldRam]

Great place to visit Akaroa. Hopefully the weather is better down here in Dunedin for ya. Drive safe, lots of idiots on the road this time of year.

[@coopsnz1]

It for volunteer fire fighters ! When i was in akorea there was a few cars spendng down the hill to the fire station 🚉

[@jaredford8440]

Well done Maddo ,player of the day 🏆 .Thanks for the vlog guys, beautiful ❤️

[@janefrancesanderson9092]

WowMado, you did good, tres bien. Hope he gives you a decent night out in Akaroa township, a good bed and breakfast. All the same its lovely in the rain too😅

[@GlenAndMado]

haha another decent night in the car we had 😅😂

[@Shibby3k]

Thanks for another interesting video. Makes me want to go back there for another visit. A fun fact (which you may already know) is that Banks Peninsula was formed by two volcanoes and that's how we ended up with Lyttleton and Akaroa harbours. Originally the volcanoes were their own island but eventually ended up connected to the mainland. Glad to see the sun came out for you in the end :)

[@tonyatkins3370]

Siren usually means 12 o'clock lunch time in most rural towns in NZ the local fire station activate the siren, maybe two fold but mainly to test the siren each day.

[@maganalia]

If you'd like to ride on an old steam train, you'll enjoy the Kingston Flyer down in Kingston, in Southland. Near Queenstown. Lumsden has some nice trains too. Oh and Freedom camping at the railway station.

[@mybrother6273]

Beautiful part of Aotearoa. Loving the content, hope you guys have the best time in the wonderful parts of Aotearoa. All The Best 🤩

[@changinglifeforthebetterjo8997]

That siren you hurd was for all the fire fighters letting them no to get to the fire station asap every small town in nz has 1 as alot of fire men and women are volunteers love your video guys

[@GlenAndMado]

good to know and thanks for watching🤗

[@ChristoKiwi]

That siren is just the local fire service calling for the volunteer members to rush to the station for a callout. Could be a fire, could be a road accident, could be a tree fallen onto a road etc

[@gretchenboyd69]

If it's raining, probably a car accident on the hills. Kaikoura has the same set up.

[@gretchenboyd69]

We wouldn't get over there till Noon, then leave a few hours later. So, ended up regularly staying 2 nights, instead. Used the Top 10 park or a holiday house. Motels are cheap off peak. We had a holiday house across the road from the Lighthouse.

[@GlenAndMado]

good idea! thats basically why we stayed in the car for the same reason haha.

[@reubenj.h.brewster3902]

The sirens are to notify the volunteer fire brigade to report to the station.

[@billiecarr29]

I really enjoy watching you're adventures in nz im in the north island in kawerau a small town about an hour from tauranga i really felt like inviting you to stay with us after seeing mado asleep in the car looked like you could do with some true kiwi hospitality a good kai included wish you all the best times ever where you go

[@GlenAndMado]

Thanks so much for watching, that's nice of you🙂

[@MarkMcLT]

31:57 boating trivia - Ross 930 in the background :)

[@Antony-qq1ob3bz3g]

top man Glenn good to have you here bro hard case are you hope the Madilane gets better soon bro good value.bro and merry xmas to yas to be sure

[@GlenAndMado]

your the top man buddy! thanks for the lovely words. she's brand new now just a few days of stress that caused us to be unwell haha. merry Christmas buddy hope you enjoy the special day!

[@tims7793]

Mados Medicinal Mozzarella. It was amazing how much better she seemed, after scoffing all that cheese!

[@GlenAndMado]

ahhahah love it maybe thats very true 😂😭

[@smashing006]

Vollys fire brigade - I was johnsonville 287

[@pepta]

If you like cheese, you've just got to visit Whitestone Cheese in our Victorian town of Oamaru. Factory and newly opened Diner and Deli are well worth a visit. Hope you guys are feeling better now

[@GlenAndMado]

Ohhhh we went there actually and will be in our episode which is about 4 videos away 😀😀

[@shaneglover9583]

It is so tropical

[@GlenAndMado]

😂😂😂😂

[@joharrison3469]

Love you guys. You put a smile on my face. I hope to bump into you both on the road somewhere before you leave our shores.

[@GlenAndMado]

aww thanks so much, means the world to us!😍 We have a few months left to explore and hope to meet you

[@jessno4143]

I love Akaroa, lots of campsites around and in the other bays. I'm glad you managed to visit! Most cheeses are available in supermarkets, a lot goes overseas but there isn't much not available here. Just for next time, please use a different toothpick for each piece of cheese you try, or flip it around so you're using the other end. Mado is sick but was putting the used toothpick near cheese other people will eat 😬 The siren is used to signal the rural volunteer fire fighters so they know to leave work or whatever they're doing and head out to respond to a call. Could be a fire or a car crash. You hear it in a lot of small towns or rural areas - nothing to worry about but it definitely does sound freaky if you don't know Please respect local rules about camping, they're there for a reason. If you want locals to respect tourists, you need to offer them the same respect. Your car isn't self contained which limits where you can stay - it is what it is.

[@GlenAndMado]

We definitely glad we got to visit Akaroa! 🙂Good to know about that sirene, that definitely scared us for a moment! Don't worry about the toothpick, I picked up a new one for the cheese, which isn't seen in the scene as we often cut out unnecessary scenes to minimize our video length. Our car is officially self contained, otherwise we wouldn't be staying in self contained parking spots and if there is a toilet around, no issue then.

[@jessno4143]

@GlenAndMado good to know about the toothpick! Self-contained vehicles in New Zealand require you to have a toilet. If you don't have the certification for it then you can't stay on council land

[@lesleyhughes3174]

​@@GlenAndMadonot if you don't have a toilet, a way to wash dishes, eg sink and water on board etc. What's between our ears is not just for decoration you know 😊

[@lesleyhughes3174]

​@@jessno4143stickers have been purchased illegally by car and van sleepers online. It's not who you know it's what you know amongst the young European tourists especially. Sneaky and won't be around much longer thankfully.

[@theunknownunknowns256]

The gorse is used as a nursery for native plant species. Many steep valleys are being re-forested. "Fools & Dreamers: Regenerating a Native Forest" is a free 30-minute documentary about Hinewai Nature Reserve in Akaroa on YT. Botanist Hugh Wilson established Hinewai Reserve and pioneered the gorse as a nursery technique.

[@GlenAndMado]

oh that's an interesting one!

[@sharonfarrugia2665]

Fun fact, banks peninsular was where Heavenly Creatures was filmed, directed by Peter Jackson and was Kate Winslet’s first movie. 😊

[@MarkMcLT]

Great movie!

[@goldenak25]

Nice work guys, showing the gems in and around chch.. Alot of people fly in via chch international airport head straight south to the tourist traps like queentstown, but theres heaps you can do locally here, Akaroa being a nice day trip. I actually saw you guys filming at the Chch CBD near riverside!

[@GlenAndMado]

That's true, most people don't have much time so they head straight to Queenstown and other popular spots. Akaroa is definitely worth the trip! No way, what's the chances😄

[@BeachcomberNZ]

There's been a big surge in c-bug cases here over the last month, so don't be surprised if you come down with it.

[@GlenAndMado]

yeah we liked every moment and we really appreciate you tuning in to watch us in action! merry Christmas 🎅

[@johnmcnulty1129]

Lovin the vlogs, German sounding Irish Teddy bear, Irish sounding German girl :) Just subbed Cracking view from on top of Gorse Central. Get well soon M 🌤 🪁 🇳🇿 🇮🇪 ❤ 🇩🇪

[@GlenAndMado]

haha love it, John! You definitely got that right, we're adapting the accents, but not sure about adapting the German accent 😅😂😂 Mado is brand new now conquering the world these days :) thanks for the lovely words though my friend :)

[@steveothebelieveo2457]

The alarm was to alert the firefighters ether for and accident or fire

[@Paris45627]

I love watching this couple they are beautiful they should buy a house and live in nz land of the long white cloud permanently, GO AHEAD OWN IT glen an mado

[@GlenAndMado]

awhhh how lovely! were trying our best to keep smiling everyday while we explore this country :) we don't plan on it unfortunately as already have our next few years planned out haha

[@michaelfitzgerald8525]

Akaroa was French settlement, but 1/3rd were Germans. Takamatu Bay was known as German Bay untill WW1.

[@patchadams9282]

Hi Guys, I'm a kiwi and live in Wellington. I have only been to Akaroa once when my wife took me for my birthday. The place is completely over rated and I would never go back. It's a complete tourist trap I think as a New Zealander. The dining out we had was rubbish. There are far better places in NZ where you can spend your money.

[@nzmarco]

Who cares? It's a great drive. Sometimes it's not always about the destination, but the journey there.

[@GlenAndMado]

we definitely get what you mean, I think we got lucky in the sense that it was a weekday and it was just super quite and for the dining there was nothing that appealed to us.

[@patchadams9282]

@@nzmarco Completely understand what you say about the journey and I agree. We were going there for a long weekend and the journey and experiencing Akaroa was the whole purpose. Journey was great, the dining out in Akaroa village itself was really disappointing. On our last day, we discovered a Vinery/ Restaurant over the other side of the bay from the village, and went their for lunch. Unfortunately I can't remember the name of the winery but you had to travel out of Akaroa as if you were returning to Christchurch, you then turn left at the junction. After the food experience in the village we thought we would give it a try and it was absolutely amazing! We spoke to the staff at the time and they advised that their chef had trained under Gordan Ramsey. Would strongly recommend that restaurant! 🙂 Merry Christmas All!

[@amyturner6275]

I swam with the dolphins there , the street names are French

[@faizananjum8117]

Love from Pakistan! 🇵🇰

[@GlenAndMado]

thanks for tuning in my friend :)

[@MdMohammedullah-k6e]

Hi

[@GlenAndMado]

hello my friend :)

[@parkiwi4787]

Shame about the weather and not ideal to see hectors dolphins smallest dolphins in the world endemic to NZ, only estimated 15,000 in existence.

[@billwilson1320]

The reason for self contained vehicle requirements was because prior to Covid, NZ was plastered with human feces and toilet paper in the bushes of every holiday spot. Locals have had enough. Hope you don't get fined.

[@GlenAndMado]

We totally get that and it’s abit sad that other tourists had to destroy the place. We are self contained but the toliet has been taken out to fit both of us in the car. We usually only stay we’re toilets are anyways so we use the toilets or local cafes.

[@parkiwi4787]

Glen I tink you need to cease with the madam and call the lovely Mado, mademoiselle.

[@icedem1]

Sick or not, the addiction to cheese takes over.

[@GlenAndMado]

You’ve got that right 😂

[@Capcityman]

If you think you had Covid as you mentioned, why didn’t you wear a mask when you went into shops? Irresponsible not to, especially as you encountered seniors.

[@GlenAndMado]

I was only joking with her she didn't have Covid don't worry :)

[@Capcityman]

@@GlenAndMado OK, but unless you test you won’t really know. I was hospitalized for five days last year with Covid so I am super-sensitive to the issue. This point aside, love your videos and appreciate your commentary. You both seem like really nice people.

[@billwilson1320]

My thoughts also. I wear a mask when shopping anyway.

[@sonnyday6830]

oh ffs! get over it as Covid is bollocks, if someone feels they need protected from any bug then they should wear a mask.

[@addrock7695]

It’s made up of 2 extinct Volcanoes..

[@lesleyhughes3174]

You really don't need to climb to the top through that gorse to see views like that though. The drive around Governors Bay from Lyttleton, then turn right, go up the mountain road, you get photos and views are stunning. 🤔 Hiding from security tells me, loud and clear, that you DO know that you are NOT certified to stay here in your car.. I travel throughout NZ permanently, in a legal SC ex rental Sprinter and see you guys do this regularly. Because you flout the rules, we continue to have freedom camping sites taken away from us, as NZrs, because of 💩 and 🧻 and rubbish left everywhere. Take a moment and think about that. Is that fair? Respectful? I think not 👍🕊

[@coopsnz1]

Akoroa looks the same as a child a few decades ago

[@Andrew-tf8jt]

My goodness I like you two ..but look what we found? It's a mountain range we didn't lose it we know exactly where it is so don't get any funny ideas.😮