We are nearing the end of the road...

It's so sad, this trip has flown by. We are at our final stop in Christchurch, and we are here for three nights. We plan to do all of our shopping here since we have been putting it off this whole time, not wanting to lug around dozens of stuffed sheep and kiwis (which we will most definately be purchasing). Out final hotel is beautiful: The Charlotte Jane We just completed our final drive today, which is nice. If we did this again we would probably try to fly from place to place. Its nice to see the country this way, and Dave likes stopping to fly fish along the road, which there is tons of. But the driving gets a bit tedious. Queenstown was awesome. It would be great to go there in the winter and go skiing. It is such a ski town. Our hotel there was great too, Brown's. Well, any last requests for gifts should be posted now. You are in luck if you are interested in a wool sweater with sheep embroidered on it. (But here that would be called wooly sheep jumper).

Day ?. Milford Sound

This is a very classic shot of what Milford Sound is like
Originally uploaded by claudiaann1.

I have lost track of my days... Yesterday we took a little plane over to Milford Sound. It was a bit of a splurge, but the alternative is to take a 6 hour bus ride both ways, and that was not going to happen. Milford Sound is worth it, and it turns out the plane ride is half the fun. We got amazing shots of New Zealand's tallest mountains (Mt. Cook, Mt. Aspiring, etc), check them out on Flickr. Today we ventured back into the eXtreme sporting and did the Shotover Jetboat. I seriously cannont believe that is legal. There is NO WAY that would be legal in the US. Maybe it was because Dave and I made the mistake of sitting in the two front seats, but that was the scariest thing I have ever done. The driver would not only drive close to the rocks, but he would swerve the boat into the rock at the last second, and then swerve it back out of the way and barely miss crashing into it. We must have been within inches of the rocks. The jetboats are not for the faint-hearted. After that we decided we needed to get some exercise. The eXtreme sporting is more about getting the crap scared out of you than actually breaking a sweat, so we decided to walk a trail out around the city. I took some photos, but cant seem to find the usb cable.... will post later. Tonight we rest up and watch the episode of Lost we downloaded from iTunes, and tomorrow is our last night in Queenstown so that will be our big night here.

Budding mountineers...

us
Originally uploaded by claudiaann1.

We finally uploaded a whole batch of new photos to flicker (finally got a broadband connection. This is of us on the helihike today, which was awesome. Click it to see the rest!

eXtreme ATV'ing

So if there is any way to make something more challenging, more eXtreme, the Kiwi's will think of a way to do it. Lets say you want to have a nice lunch atop the skytower, well why dont you bungee jump off the building? Do you want to roll down a hill while trapped inside a plastic bubble? (zorbing) Why not add a bucket of water in there too? (hydrazorbing) Today while driving from Punakaiki to the galciers, we stopped at a roadsign that said On Yer Bike! It was a blast, but it wasnt just ATVing, it was ATVing through about 3 feet of water, up muddy hills (and sliding back down), getting lost a few times (the guides, not us). Definately breaks up the boring car rides. Next we stopped by Greymouth for lunch, and eventually made our way to the Fox Glacier to spend two nights. In about an hour we will be doing this....

Day 9. Punakaiki

So we drove across the country today - from the east to the west coast. It probably would have taken about 4 hours, but we stopped quite a bit along the way. At one point along the drive we saw signs for the Buller Gorge Swing Bridge We walked across the 110 m long bridge and then took the zip line back (like the girl in the picture). They gave us pictures like that on a floppy disk that we will hopefully post soon. Punakaiki is nothing much, it is part of a beautiful coastline though. We had dinner at the tavern, and then shipped out again early the next morning to drive to the glaciers.

Day 8. The Herzog Winery

We are staying one night at the Herzog Winery Cottage located in Marlborough, New Zealand’s wine country. (The travel agent raved about it and loved the name coincidence (almost)) As we were driving across the mountains to get here it starting down-pouring which continued into the evening. Once we checked in, we decided to brave the rain and get some groceries, and in the process, we saw a little bit of the wine country and it is spectacular. Maybe it was the way the clouds were grouping around the mountains and the beams of sunlight creeping through, but these mountains are amazing. The sunset is also amazing. Once in the little cottage we lit a fire in the fireplace and listened to the rain outside. It’s a shame we aren’t staying longer. Tomorrow we drive across the south island to the west coast (our one night at a backpacker! But we have our own room). We’ll see how that compares to the rest our luxury lodges…. I just hope they have internet to I can catch up on some of these posts.

Day 6. Awaroa Lodge

The Awaroa Lodge is both the best and the worst place for Dave to be stuck in bed with a cold - it is the best because there is not much to do so we don’t feel like we’re missing anything, but it is the worst because there is NOTHING TO DO! Ive been going a little stir-crazy here. Its beautiful, and the food at the one restaurant is outstanding, but Ive already finished my one book. We did take a walk around the wetlands which was interesting because there are so many unusual plants to take pictures. If we were out and about we could go sea kayaking or go on a long hike where the watertaxi takes you back. Truth be told I am quite happy to just sleep in and lounge around the room. This is a really nice place, but Im not sure I would recommend people make the trek out here - it takes all day to get here and Im not convinced its worth it. Maybe if you wanted total relaxation and no disturbances (but they don’t have a spa). They don’t have internet, nor will they ever because the southern sky is blocked by mountains. Next we drive to New Zealands wine country….

Day 5. En route from Taupo to Abel Tasman

Flying in New Zealand is so much less stressful than in America. You just mosey on over and drop of your bags. Everyone is friendly and helpful, and there’s no security. Can you even imagine flying in America without security? Anyway, it’s been a long day. We flew at 8am from Taupo to Wellington and connected to Nelson. Then we rented a car and drove to Marahau where we picked up an aquataxi to the Awaroa Lodge. All the while Dave was feeling kind of sick and run down, so we didn’t even really look around but just went to the room to take a nap. The rooms are beautiful though, there are no cars, and it is completely accessed by helicopter or boat.

the days of 24-hr. free broadband are over...

We probably wont be posting much from Abel Tasman - they do have internet, but its a bit like putting in a quarter for the airhose at the gas station (and it runs about as fast). This is just to say we made it and will post later, maybe once the internet-withdrawl sets in.

Day 4. Taupo

Dave went fishing today, so I took this opportunity to sleep in and read email while relaxing on the deck with coffee. Then Hea Min came by to give me some lunch - it is just like home here, except without Hea Min, who I suppose really makes the place. After lunch I drove alone (!) to check out Taupo’s claim to fame, the Huka Falls on a roaring bright turquoise river running though town. Then, while driving on the small road from Huka Falls to the river dam downstream, along comes a car heading toward me in MY LANE (the left lane!). I was not in the wrong lane, though I had to think about it since I was driving by myself and still not completely used to being on the wrong side of the road. So I decide I am in fact in the correct lane, and by this time he really should have realized he is in the wrong lane, but he still doesn’t get over. So I had to move over and pass him on the right. I couldn’t even believe it; the whole thing seemed like a dream. I don’t know if he was a drunken American or what, but good-god I cant believe that happened to me within ten minutes of my driving in another country. I did finally make it to the dam in time for the four-o’clock unleashing where bright turquoise water rushes down over the rocks of the river bed, which is beautiful and relaxing so I calmed down there a little bit before making my way back. Walking back to the car two young girls from Holland asked me to take them into town, so I did. I was actually kind of scared this was their racket and were going to jump me, but they were so tiny I figured I could probably take them both. We went to dinner that night in Taupo and then to an Irish Pub for St. Patrick’s day. Im really going to miss this place, I have a feeling Chalet Eiger will be the best of our stay…

Day 4: Fishing on the Tongariro River

Went fishing on the Tongariro river today. Caught a nice "little" rainbow. Tomorrow we fly down to Nelson (South Island).
-Dave

Day 3. Glow Worms!

Today we drove to Waitomo where they have a bunch of limestone caves. Inthe caves they have glow-worms (see website). Not actually worms, but the larva stage of a kind of fly that lives in the caves. The larva has a chemiluminescence deal going on at the end of it's tail. They grow on the ceilings of caves that rivers in them and produce these long sticky (12inches or so) tentacle-like transparent things that hang down. Looks like something from the movie Aliens. The idea is that other insects find themselves in the caves, and then fly to the lights. They get caught in the glow worm tentacles and eaten. We took a tour through the cave where the pile you in a boat and you float down the underground river in these huge rooms with glowing green worms all over the ceilings. Pretty weird and cool.
-Dave

Day 2. Driving from Auckland to Taupo

wrong side!
Originally uploaded by claudiaann1.

So the drive is long, about four hours. We left after breakfast and got in the rental car whose steering wheel was on the wrong side, which was seriously weird and hard to get used to. Luckily, we didnt kill anyone or ourselves. Mid-way through the drive we decided to take a detour throuh Rotorua, also known as Sulphur City, whose smell is available miles away. There we picked up lunch and a much needed iTrip for the car. New Zealand music is mainly just American music from a couple years ago. Candlebox, etc. On the road from Rotorua to Taupo we pulled off on a tiny gravel road called Kerosene Creek, thinking we would certainly get killed. Sure enough, a couple of miles down was a place to pull over and walk along the path following a bubbling creek. A couple of hundred yards into the forest is a beautiful waterfall where the temperature of the water is about 102 deg. We climbed in and relaxed there for awhile, it was absolutly perfect. Except a bit smelly perhaps. Then we made our way to the next lodge which is in Acacia Bay on the north shore of Lake Taupo - Chalet Eiger. It is operated by Emil and Hea Min, a Swiss man and his Chinese wife. It is spectacular, so well done. Dad - you would be happy to know each room is fully equipped with lighting key-pads for such moods as "welcome", "relaxing", "sleeping", etc. Hea Min cooked us dinner with the other couple staying here from Ireland. The six of us stayed up late drinking New Zealand wine and discussing all sorts of things including polotics (which wasnt too terrible, though they were certainly convinced it was "all about the oil")

Day 1. Auckland

If you ever want to go to Auckland, but you don’t want to take a 15 hour plane ride, then fly to San Francisco. Its exactly the same. They even have their own version of Sausalito and its called Devonport. Auckland is beautiful and clean. Its really a cool city and would be easy to pick up and move here. Except of course for the 14 hour plane ride. Today we had lunch at the top of the SkyTower, the tallest rotating restaurant in the southern hemisphere. Then we took a ferry to Devonport to walk around. Now its dinner….

Look to the left and you should see our photos. Click on one and it should take you to our Flickr account.

We made it!

The flight wasn't so bad, we both slept the entire time. The place was super nice and video-on-demand is awesome. We arrived at 5am NZ time, so we checked in at the hotel and took a nap. Now we are about to go exploring - we still havent seen this place in the daylight.

more soon....