White Tips Green Lips and Freezing Fingertips

So far the South Island has been full of contrasts. Arriving Saturday we saw the white tips of mountain ranges as we made the ferry crossing to Picton. The ferry was quite impressive with 10 decks including the sun or should we say the wind deck. There were 2 cinemas, a food court, coffee lounge and of course a bar. Joy made friends with some strange creatures in the bar.

From Picton we travelled through the Marlborough wine region and on to Nelson a seaside town on the North Coast. On our way to the supermarket we came across a couple of shivering locals wet to the knees who offered us a bag of green lipped mussels in exchange for a couple of dollars (so they could buy something to warm themselves up with). It seemed a fair trade and we had green lipped mussels with our Marlborough Sound wine for dinner. (Not as good as Moullons from Belgium but a good feed.)

Sunday we travelled on to Franz Josef where we will be for the next 2 nights. The scenery was quite bizarre, on our right waves crashing into the shoreline and on our left it was the snow caps of the Southern Alps. The road kill was also changed. Joy is sure she saw a dead hedgehog (Joy claims it had spikes but a truck blew it over and all Adrian saw was blood and guts).

Today’s weather forecast was morning Northerly winds and rain followed by afternoon showers and Southerlies. We went up to the glacier this morning and for a pleasant walk in the rain. We couldn’t get too close to the glacier as apparently it is not safe. Tomorrow we have booked on a helicopter with a glacier landing.

Walking Wellington

Well, well, well we arrived in Wellington on Wednesday (oops it was Thursday). Would’ve put on our wellies (if we had them) but did go for a walk. Went wandering Wellington trying to find somewhere to eat and stumbled on a crowd gathered down a dark alley. On inspection we found a cable car that we rode to the top and dined at the Skyline which overlooks the city (great views). Joy chose best having New Zealand seafood hotpot and Adrian ended up with slithers of raw Venison. Joy’s prawns (farmed from an inland lake) were the size of Morton Bay Bugs. We thought we ordered Sauvignon Blanc but we ended up with a nice red (these foreigners can’t understand Arstralian). This is quite amazing really because every second Kiwi seems to have a rellie in “Oz”.

Windy Wellington was how an article in a travel magazine described the NZ capital. Tonight we experienced walking on a 45 degree angle. Today we had an interesting day of exploration. We started with Te Papa the National Museum and whilst viewing the earthquake exhibit, the alarms came on and an announcement sounded “please make your way to the nearest exit”. The fire engines came to a blaring stop outside the building and we decided it was a nice time for a walk along the esplanade. When we returned the museum was still standing, it seems it was a false alarm, so we continued our tour of an excellent museum.

Later we walked the streets again and found our way to the Beehive (the executive wing on the NZ parliament). We made it just in time for the last tour of the current sitting of the house. (NZ is about to have an election). Tomorrow we catch the Interislander Ferry to the South Island.

On like Flynn

On like Flynn. Yes I do mean ON like Flynn. Yesterday we sailed on a yacht once owned by Errol Flynn across Lake Taupo. Of course when Errol owned it the yacht was in California not NZ and certainly not the largest lake in Australasia. It was a pleasant voyage across part of the Lake to see some Maori rock sculptures.

After the cruise we visited the Huka Falls and the Craters of the Moon (another geothermal area).

Today, it was on to Napier on the east coast, a town that was devastated by earthquake in 1931. The town was rebuilt in the modern architectural style of the times, Art Deco. We did a walking tour with a guide from Napier’s Art Deco Trust and can now pick a sunburst from a Ziggurat. Tomorrow we are off to Wellington for our last 2 days on the North Island.

Whakarewarewatangaoteopetauaawahiao

From glow worms to geysers, that was our day yesterday, toped off with a cultural experience and hangi banquet. We started the day at Waitoma Caves with a guided tour of a cave which concluded with a boat trip through a starlight like cavern with glow worms providing the lighting. Our guide was the great-granddaughter of a Maori chief who was the first to lead tourists through the caves in the 1880’s. We then travelled on to Rotorua where we had our first experience of geothermal activity. We also learned a new Maori word Whakarewarewatangaoteopetauaawahiao meaning “the gathering place of the war parties of Wahiao”.

This morning I woke with one of those ‘where am I’ experiences but then I breathed in the sulphur fumes and my memory was restored. Then we went to hell. Hell’s Gate that is, another geothermal site. And then it was on to inspect Te Wairoa a village that was buried by a volcanic eruption in the 1890’s and has been uncovered by archaeological digs from the 1930s to the 1980s. The guide told us there are over 1000 earthquakes in NZ each year (fortunately most are not felt). We arrived in Taupo this afternoon.

North of the North

Yesterday we made it to the north of the North Island, Cape Reinga. This is real turkey country. No Kiwis but turkeys everywhere along the road sides plus the occassional dead possum. The scenery was quite impressive. After reaching the cape we had nowhere to go but south. We checked out big sand dunes at the start of the ninety mile beach. But because we had a hire car we could not drive the popular route along the beach and had to settle for a ferry crossing.



Today it was onwards further south, checking out the Kauri forest and the largest tree in NZ which is estimated to be some 2000 years old. The tree is far more impressive than the photo. We arrived in Waitomo Caves tonight and will be off to see glow worms tomorrow before heading on to Rotorua.

Kia Ora

Welcome from NZ. We arrived in Auckland on Monday evening and spent Tuesday exploring New Zealand's largest city on the explorer bus. We went to the museum then up the skytower before catching up with an old friend and drinking the night away.

Yesterday we travelled north arriving in Paihia in the Bay of Islands. Today we spent the morning on a three hour cruise. The weather started getting rough, the tiny ship was tossed, if was not for courage of the fearless crew the nicholls would be lost. But alas we made it back after seeing dolphins and New Zealand Fur Seals. Unfortunately due to the conditions the skipper did not take us through the Hole in the Rock (a feature of Bay of Islands cruises).

This afternoon we visited the Treaty House at Waitangi.

Tomorrow we head north to the tip of New Zealand and start heading back along the Ninety Mile beach (Joy thinks they have one of these in every country).

Off to the Land of the Long White Cloud

Yes, the bags are packed again and tommorrow we fly to Auckland for a 4 week tour of New Zealand. So far we have booked airfares, accommodation for 2 nights, a hire car and a ferry crossing from the North to the South Island. We have a rough itinery but will be playing it by ear when get there. Stay tuned for updates as we move around the country

Unfortunately our trip means we will miss the Tuggeranong Lions Auction Dinner Dance to be held on Saturday 20 September. For those of you who will be in Canberra next Saturday, the place to be is the Erindale Vikings Auditorium at 7.00pm. The night promises to be a fun evening with celebrity auction items, buffet meal and music to dance the night away. Proceeds from the night will go to helping disabled kids in the Canberra community. So not only will you have fun you will be helping a worthwhile cause.

To find out more click on the links below:

Ticket Info http://tuggeranonglions.org.au/index.htm

youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBi0ztqpCGI