Safari .... OOA

That's it - we are officially 'out of adjectives' (OOA). We continued our adventures today not knowing really what we were doing (surprise). We had reserved a 'Dart River Safari'. The descriptions & information varied, depending on the literature you read. It turned into quite an adventure. A bus picked us at 7:15 this morning & then made several stops at hotels along the way for other 'adventurers and fun couples'. We left Queenstown for a 45 minute drive to Glenorchy. After introducing ourselves to each other we found we were among Californians and a recent transplant to NZ from Texas - a UT grad. Gotta love the enthusiasm of UT fans as several 'horns' in the bus went up!

We were on the first boat up the river & still wondering what we were getting into as we put on life vests & raincoats. The jet boat(with a 500cu in, 400hp V8 with a Holley quad) was about an hour long ride along the Dart river in the Mt. Aspiring National Park. We drove alongside towering mountains, gorgeous waterfalls and beautiful wilderness areas. Along the way we saw a cow on the banks giving birth - amazing!
The real adventure came when the driver turned his hand in a 'ring'. Doing donuts in a jetboat in the middle of a river....outstanding.
As everyone held on, he threw the boat into a spin. Really fun, really fast & at times, really wet!! The thrill seeking opportunities just never stop in Queenstown.

After our boat adventure, we took the 'land' part of our tour. A sedate walk of about 20 minutes long through ancient forests, unchanged for 80 million years. We heard stories about the area and its history - including the quest by early Maori for highly prized pounamu (jade greenstone). Interestingly, no ferns in this forest. Too dry they told us. Only 22 feet of rain per year. Let me repeat that ONLY 22 FEET of rain per year! Lots of moss covering everything. It looked like green carpet on the forest floor.

A couple of hare running through the forest ahead of us just added to the charm



Back on the bus we drove for a photo op to
Paradise (we just thought it was in Texas) and back to our starting point to change buses before making our way back to the various hotels.

Spending a few hours recharging before heading out to a local winery for an early dinner. We have been invited to watch a movie tonight with our hosts & friends of theirs. I had the task of providing a list of

movies I thought we'd like although they made sure to tell me they had veto power. Mike & Bill's good friends Ian and Jan joined us for the evening at the movies. Mike & Bill surprised us with a 30th anniversary cake and champagne. Then it was off to the Zephyr, the beautiful art deco movie theater complete with 3 sets of curtains, digital surround sound, popcorn, recliners, candy, you name it. Truly awesome. The Bourne Identity wasn't bad either.

Cloud 18

A quiet day. We have no specific plans for our stay in Queenstown other than a jet boat ride tomorrow. The fun couple strikes again!






We got off to a late start sleeping in till 830, I guess some well needed rest from the last 2 weeks of driving, taking pictures, seeing stunning scenery and wine tasting. Had a nice breakfast followed by interesting conversations with our hosts.







The day started off rainy and we headed off toward Queenstown just behind the double decker London tour bus. After about 60 seconds 2 cars back from the bus, and being the patient person that I am, I saw a sign for Coronet Peak and immediately made a right turn. Coronet Peak is the mountain out our windows at White Shadows. It is a skiing mountain in the winter, with a small amount of snow remaining. Although still raining lightly and we ended up driving into the low clouds, we had some beautiful views of the valley below, the surrounding peaks and Queenstown in the distance.



We spent about an hour on the mountain and then headed off to Arrowtown rather than Queenstown. We would go to Queenstown later in the day and grab an early dinner.







Arrowtown is a former gold mining town of 2,000. Very nice little town with one main street, a couple of churches, nice houses and plenty of tourists and tourist related stores.







We walked around Arrowtown for a couple of hours and then headed off to Queenstown.



We arrived just in time for the rain to return. Queenstown is a ski resort in the winter, is the birth place of bungi-jumping and jet boating, and has no shortage of tourists. We walked around a bit and ran into the people we had dinner with at Wilderness Lodge. The same couple we ran into at dinner last night in Arrowton. We had dinner at a place called Winnie's, a 2nd floor pizza place, and then headed back to White Shadows.

On the way back in the rain, Nancy mentioned that there would be a rainbow somewhere around here as the sun came out. I took a wrong turn on the way back and we headed back up the Coronet Peak road. Rounding a corner was a stunning rainbow across the valley below. The photos don't do the rainbow justice.


After a nice evening at the main house, nibbles (hors d'oeuvres in NZ), a bottle of Pinot Gris and great conversations with our hosts, we retreated to our room for a movie in front of the fire.

Tomorrow, the jet boat, our last scheduled "activity" in NZ. Our first wake up call in a long time.

Half Time.....

Not that I want to be reminded, but we're half way through our amazing trip. Today was a day we've looked forward to for five years & it did not disappoint.

We woke to rain, as promised last night by our host. It was beautiful watching the lake while we ate breakfast. The sky was gray & cloudy, the water a much darker color as rain hit it. We took our time leaving Lake Moeraki & headed down the Haast Road. This is a spectacular road filled with lakes, waterfalls, rivers & winding curves. What we could see of it, through the windshield wipers did look amazing. I'm sure weather conditions did not permit us to see it in all of its glory! We were not able to stop to take pictures....too rainy.

Love the bridges in NZ. They have the funniest names. Last time we were here we drove over Cardrona Bridges that were numbered 1-13....13 consecutive bridges. Then the one after the 13th, was 'Unnamed bridge' Today we drove over a bridge called 'Half Bridge #1'. Shortly after we drove by 'Half Bridge #2.' Together do they make 'Whole Bridge #3' that we've yet to discover?

We drove straight through with a brief detour to Wanaka. Another area where we stayed last time. About an hour out, we noticed a big stream of traffic (ok maybe 10 cars in a row) coming from the north & commented on it. A few minutes later we were at a standstill with several other cars going south. Road work in progress apparently. Sat for about 15 minutes. The funny thing was the guy who decided (3 cars from the starting car) to get out & wander off into a field for unknown reasons (& maybe some reasons I don't care to know about) As the cars started moving & bypassing his car, we saw him running back through the field. Funny!

Arrived at our 'gold standard' favorite place to stay, White Shadows, where we were greeted warmly by Mike with a hug and a 'welcome home'. Perfect greeting & we were so happy to be here. Mike's partner Bill, and Zoe their white terrier, greeted us shortly after. Zoe stood back at first, a little leery of the new arrivals. That, or she's been speaking with a certain white dog in Denton who warned her about us......

We wandered the grounds, marveling at the temperatures. We lost the rain about an hour before our arrival. We got here to perfect spring weather. Sunny and warm...and absolutely the opposite of what I thought we'd have. Heading south, we figured it would be much cooler. Think about that one because I had to....In this part of the world, you go north for the winter.

Bulbs are in bloom, flowering trees are opening up, baby lambs running through the field below the property. Everything else was just as we remembered, including our wonderful hosts. We visited & caught up for awhile, with a promise of more talk to come over wine. I got to sit on the deck with a book, watching the sheep. Amazing.

Went to Arrowtown tonight for dinner. We were also there on our last trip but will head over there again while we're here to wander around. From our window seat at dinner we saw two people we had dinner with last night at Lake Moeraki! Eventually they made their way to our restaurant & we had a brief chat.

In for the night......with bath tub, hot tea, a book and a movie all waiting for me.

Birds & Worms

Monday we got even more, for us, adventurous. Remember who you are dealing with here, and despite that we have hiked to the top of a bird sanctuary island, hiked on glaciers, now we're fording streams and hiking through the rain forest. With boots on and carrying slickers in case it rains no less. This big time adventure for us!

We're off to see the Fiordland Crested Penguin. I started the day with a fear of penguins, harkening back to my days in Catholic schools. After a very nice breakfast with a couple from Tucson (the wilderness here is also crawling with Americans, the lodge has us all isolated in our wing), I overcame my fears. We donned out boots and our guide Corey drove us down the highway to the secret entrance to the rain forest and the beach to see if we would be lucky enough to see some penguins.





Corey gave us a thorough tour of the rain forest, pointing out the different varieties of fern, such as tree ferns, hen and chicken and kidney ferns. Lots of lichens and moss along with tall Rimu trees and listening to bell birds. We forded about 3 streams and eventually popped out of the rain forest onto gray gravel-like Munro Beach. Munro Beach is one of the nesting places for the Fiordland Crested Penguin, aka Tawaki in Maori. They stand about 70cm tall and nest here in the spring. After the chicks are mature all the penguins go out to the open sea for as long as 5 months at a time. Never touching land. They sleep floating on the water and go as far as Tasmania, south of Australia. But no penguins were around.






Corey put down a tarp, told us to sit down and how to behave so that the penguins would venture out. They nest up the hill in the bush. They're endangered with only about 1500 known pairs.

We behaved and got eaten alive by sand flies, the only native insect we have seen in New Zealand. In about 10 minutes a penguin ventured down the hill, peeking around a rock in our direction. He evidently felt safe and waddled and hopped (like Jerry on Boston Legal) toward the beach. He hesitated and then dived in the surf. In a short time a few more penguins came for a total of 6 that we visited with. We watched them body surf, yeah they body surf looking behind them for a wave (and seals which are predators) and catching a wave to the beach. They stand up, may get knocked down and then dive under the next wave to ride back in. Either just like humans or we're just penguins. They congretated on the beach, looked like they were having a discussion and then headed back in for a dip or back up the hill to the roost. A very rare experience being able to see them in them in their natural habitat. The penguins were pretty far away and photos do not do them justice.






Back through the sand flies and the forest to the lodge for an afternoon of laundry. A nice dinner again, this time joined by 6 more Americans (one extremely loud and obnoxious) and a couple of Brits. Fortunately we were seated with the Brits and the sedate Americans from Tucson.


After a very nice dinner of Little Bo Peep or cod we all joined Corey for our night time nature walk. This time to see the glow worms. He walked down the highway, there are no cars to worry about, to a very moist cliff full of glow worms. If you kept moving they moved like twinkling lights on a Christmas tree. We headed back to the lodge. Corey told us to listen for a bird, a native owl actually, that would say "More Pork". John, our lodge host had said one hadn't been seen in a year. I heard something, mentioned it to Corey and he took off up a hill with his flashlight to come upon a young owl who sat there and stared at us. We never did feel that the owl was saying "More Pork" although the Kiwis are certain of it. The English woman was as confused as we were.

A stop at the lodge for a Bailey's and in for the night.

Tomorrow, a long drive to the Queenstown area.

Wilderness Time

Sunday we headed south from glacier country to our next stop, Wilderness Lodge at Lake Moeraki, a couple of hours drive down the coast.

We drove past a Fox Glacier viewing place and across the river the river that is created by the glacier. It gave a different perspective regarding the size of the glacier from when we were standing on it the previous day.

We arrived early afternoon and then went one of the short walks that branch out from the lodge.

This one was about an hour walk down by the river, through the rain forest to Lake Moeraki. A very pretty walk at the end of which black swans were swimming in the distance on the lake.
The lodge runs several nature walks everyday. Short one hour guided walks in the morning and evening that are included in the room rate and other longer walks and floats in the late morning and early afternoon.

Our evening walk Sunday was to go feed the eels. Five other guests from the lodge and our guide Corey took us down by the river to feed the eels. He brought a dinner of chicken and salmon and called the eels to dinner by pouring the "chum" in the river. In a few minutes about a dozen of the black slimy creatures came for dinner. They were about 3-6 feet long, black, had teeth and were very hungry. Although offered, we opted to observe the feeding rather than actively participate.

Nancy led the group back to the lodge and we had a very nice dinner of snapper and venison. Our meal was washed down with a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc and followed up with profiteroles for dessert.
All guests at the lodge eat at the same dinner. We were joined by the 5 that went on the eel feeding walk. It was an all American group, with a couple from Brentwoood, CA and their daughter who had recently graduated from USC as an architect and a newly wed couple from Manhattan. The group sat around and talked till about 11 when we called it quits for the evening.

Monday, we go on a 3 hour walk to see the penguins who are nesting at this time of year.

Ice Landings

Today, Saturday here, was an early day. Out of the lodge by 8 for a 2.5 hour drive south to Franz Josef Village. Checked in to our lodge there (it has a tub, I'm in heaven ) to drop bags and another 22km south to Fox Glacier Village for our helihike.


Fortunately for us, the weather was perfect today & the helicopters were flying. During the last several weeks they have experienced up to 16 days without flying due to rain. We weren't sure what to expect when we signed up for this helihike 6 months ago. I questioned employees at the hotel, as well as at the check-in site.They all assured us it was very easy & the helicopter did the hard work. Hmmm....not exactly, but despite that, it was probably one of the most incredible things either of us has ever experienced. We keep wondering when we will run out of adjectives for this amazing country. That may have happened today.


After checking in at the helicopter office, we took a bus (Old Blu, a hybrid 1958/1968 model) to the helipad. While we waited for a group to come down off the mountain, we were issued wool socks, boots & given our instructions for appropriate helicopter protocol. Our group was divided into two & we were sent off for the 5 minute ride to the glacier with the first group. After both groups were on the ice, we added 'instep crampons' to the bottoms of our boots. We picked up walking sticks & were off. Walking on the ice was surprisingly easy once you let the crampons work for you. They are steel spikes on the bottoms of your feet. With these spikes & the walking stick we were just like pros.....not! Although it wasn't that slippery, there were still some downhill steps to climb, some slippery areas to manoeuvre & some narrow paths to walk down, with deep crevasses either next to us or in front of us. We had to watch our steps as we peered into the deep blue glacier water. Didn't want to slip through one of those....brr!!! And very deep...some up to 30 meters according to our guide.






For the next 2 hours, we 'explored' the ice. Our guides cut through the ice at times, quickly hacking out steps so that we could make our way down to yet another site. The ice was brilliant white with incredible blue shining through it. We were able to walk through an ice cave & look down into more crevasses that took our breaths away. We were warned that during the trip before us, one lady had dropped her camera down a crevasse. Fortunately through 'guide ingenuity' it was retrieved. Everyone held on to theirs a little tighter on this trip, I suspect.







The guides were informative & able to answer questions about the ice & the area. The ice in this area (we were only 1100 meters above sea level) is 200 meters thick. It is estimated the oldest of the ice is 80 years old and we were told that Fox Glacier has actually been growing since 1998. Approximately 50m of snowfall is added to the glacier each year. While we waited for the helicopters to retrieve us, we heard & saw a rock slide on a nearby mountain. Most likely very small, but the sound was actually quite loud and clouds of dust were visible as the rocks hit the ledge below.



The day came to an end early....a glass of wine & pasta for dinner. Two vintage 1930 Ford's filling up at the local Mobile station as we walked back to our car. Kiwis seem to really love classic cars. A long bath for me & some hot tea & cookies. Another unbelievable day in paradise. On a quieter schedule for the next 3 days as we head out tomorrow for Lake Moeraki & Wilderness Lodge sometime tomorrow.


Today's observation:

We really enjoyed our 1st trip to NZ 5 years ago and ever since have been raving about it. There was some concern that we may have over-hyped the place and would be disappointed this trip. No worries as they say here.

Visit to the Southern Alps

Friday was a slower day than the last two. We had a nice breakfast with our fellow guests and bid them farewell. The English ladies were off to Christchurch on the TransAlpine train and then to Sydney, Johannesburg and London. The Israeli couple were heading south for the glaciers and Haast.

We headed for petrol in the "booming" town of Hokitika, and got by for under $90NZD today.




Then headed north to catch the road to Arthur's Pass. Arthur's Pass links the East Coast(Christchurch) and the West Coast (booming Hokitika and suburbs) over the Southern Alps.






Another stunning drive, although on and off rain all the way to Arthur's Pass. Waterfalls, rivers with crystal clear ice blue water, snow capped mountains, ferns everywhere, no people, no sheep and very few turnouts to pull off the road.






We had the usual New Zealand one lane bridges, in some cases shared with a train. Well, not really shared. It's still a one lane bridge, with railroad tracks running down the middle.

This region is inhabited by the Kea Parrot, a large and very friendly parrot. Locals say they are the only parrots to live in this cold a climate. Green in colour, they have brilliant orange under their wings. You can only see the orange when they fly. They were more interested in food handouts than flying.




The town of Arthur's Pass looked to have about a dozen buildings. A couple of places to eat and some homes. Didn't see a petrol station.






The rain stopped at Arthur's Pass. To the west the view was clouds and rain. To the east were brilliant clear blue skies.

This evening we had an excellent dinner in downtown Hokitika at the Cafe de Paris. Brian called during dinner, great talking to him (cell phones still work out here in the middle of nowhere) and we got back to the lodge in time for another beautiful sunset.




Tomorrow, Saturday, weather permitting we will get on a helicopter and head for Fox Glacier, about a 2.5 hour drive south of here to reach the helicopter.

The Wild West

Five days passed quickly & yesterday morning it was time to say good bye to our hosts at Ruby Bay Vineyard. I did not think there was a prettier view to be found after sitting in the vineyard. New Zealand is full of surprises. As we left the wine country & headed to the wild west, our view started changing within the hour.

This journey was filled with hair pin curves, rugged terrain & craggy rocks jutting out at all angles from mountainsides. The ever present broom is still in full bloom. The greens are very lush but lots of pine, some palms and lower brush plants.

About three hours into our trip, we stopped at Cape Foulwind. Said to have been found by Captain Cook & so named for the terrible weather. Bob wondered if Captain Cook had franchised himself.....he surely couldn't have been all the places he claims.

Not ready for lunch, but instructed that we could not miss the Bay House Cafe, we drove up the road for a snack. The view was, again breathtaking - the ocean waves crashing in the distance. It lured us down after lunch for a walk on the rocks. There was a path across some rocks, out overlooking the water. Spectacular waves crashing on the rocks, sun shining, wind virtually stopped. Could have stayed all afternoon just watching the water change colors.

Down the road was a seal colony. Another short walk to a viewing area. Seals all over these rocks. Amazing to watch them running, jumping, playing. Stood transfixed for several minutes, took the obligatory pictures & then made our way back down the path.

Continuing south down more winding roads, hair pin curves and one lane bridges (on state highways!). We stopped several more times for the breathtaking views. The coastline is spectacular. The rocks coming out of the water, the depth of the ocean seemed to go forever. Just gorgeous.

One of my favorite signs yesterday was a picture of a penguin on a road sign indicating 'penguin crossing'.... not one you see often on Keller Parkway.

We stopped in Punakaiki to see the 'famous' Pancake Rocks. Another twenty minute walk down the pathways. These rocks are literally stacked like pancakes, formed this way over thousands of years. The water rushes in and out. I thought I heard thunder in the background - it was the rush of water. There are blow holes in this area that we did not see in action. The view of the water rushing up from the rocks & crashing against them was incredible.

Onward toward Greymouth where we thought we'd be smart & find a place to stop for dinner. This was the 'big city' compared to our stop for the night, just north of Hokitika. Dinner proved to me once again that I don't like lamb! We didn't eat much but it was dinner.

On to our home for the next two nights....we are across the street from the beach, on a hillside with yet another spectacular view. As I look at the window, the waves are rolling onto the beach on this cloudy morning. The sun is trying to come out. There is gorgeous green all around me. The grounds here include an outdoor fireplace built of river rock and a common dining area for all guests with a fireplace. When we arrived, other guests were preparing for dinner...and, our hosts asked if we would like dinner. Thought we'd been smart eating earlier. Wrong again! We joined the other guests (Three of them we recognized from earlier in the day at the Bay House Cafe!) while they ate. Two of the people are from Israel. They are here with their guide who lives in NZ but originally from Poland. The other two guests are from the UK. One living in South Africa. Lots to talk about. We enjoyed the dinner conversation that spanned everything from travel to a brief touch on politics and life in our own countries. Interesting perspectives from everyone.

Headed to Arthur's Pass this morning....up into the alps. Yet again a new kind of scenery to enjoy.

Random thoughts -

Have I mentioned the flowers of NZ? Well, OK, I have. But, did I mention the poppies? They are just gorgeous. All colors, billowing in the wind, so pretty.

There is a saying here that we've heard once or twice & seen across vans 'Wicked'. Guess it means cool???

Did you know that a commercial apple tree (Braeburns where we were in Nelson) can yield 800-1000 apples PER season? WOW!

Tuis seem to be the sparrow of NZ. Every town has an obligatory Tui cafe, bar or grill.

Kiwi is a fruit, a person and a bird....which came first?

Golden Bay

Our last day in the Nelson region, Wednesday, we headed north to Golden Bay, at the top of South Island. We got there by way of Takaka, Onekaka and Pupu Springs. No, I did not make up the names.


We were out about 10 hours all told today, most of it driving. The scenery was as usual spectacular, but different from previous days. A taste of Switzerland with the snow capped mountains above a lush green valley and forested mountains that looked like Hawaii.


We stopped first in Takaka and picked up some water, cheese and crackers for lunch. We stopped at a very small town called Collingwood and ate by the beach.



North from there to Puponga which is the northern end of the road. Golden Bay is vast and at the northern end of the bay is Farewell Spit, which is not accessible by road. They say it is the largest sand spit in the world, extending out 25km forming the northern edge of the bay.



From Puponga we took the gravel road toward Wharariki Beach. The guy in the camera store in Nelson yesterday said we had to go and see the dunes. We parked the car at the end of the road and started the 25 minute walk over the hill and through the sheep farm to the dunes.

The wind has rarely been absent since we are arrived in wet and windy Wellington 10 days ago. This morning was a beautiful morning, so much so that our hosts asked if we would like to have breakfast on their deck. A great breakfast, a beautiful day and no wind.

The wind had returned with a vengeance by the time we got to the dunes. We didn't last long there and could really only look in one direction due to the "sand blast facial" we got if we turned toward the wind. The pictures of this area may look misty. That's blowing sand. Maybe Kareem will recognize it! The only thing we could compare it to are The Cliffs of Moher on the west coast of Ireland. http://www.cliffsofmoher.ie/TheCliffs.aspx




Back through the sheep pasture and to the car park we went, then off to Pupu Springs on the way back.



The full name of the place is Waikoropupu Springs, but the locals and the road signs just call it Pupu. This is glacial melt that springs out of the ground, and creates a crystal clear running river.




From Pupu we headed south to Motueka and had dinner at a converted Methodist Church which had been built in the '20's. A very nice meal, headed back to our lodge and arrived just before the rain.


Tomorrow we have a long 6 hour or so drive southwest to the West Coast of the South Island and leave the NZ wine country behind.