Saturday, March 03, 2007
Arthur Pass and Christchurch
From Greymouth we made our way through the Southern Alps over the Arthur Pass. Awesome mountain driving...a bit like in Switzerland. We arrived in Christchurch had a German sausage and relaxed for 2 days before we went on the horror flight home...12 hours to LA then 1.5 hours hanging about and another 10 hours' flight to London. We are pretty Jet lagged today. It was an incredibly amazing trip and around 900 pictures and a few videos will keep us busy dreaming of the fantastic time we had. So I am afraid no more updates to this Blog from now on. I hope you have been jealous and enjoyed the Pictures.
Awesome Glacier
We were incredibly lucky with the weather as you can see from the pictures below. The Glacier used To be much bigger and run all the way down that valley. Walking on a Glacier is a pretty awesome experience. So after that we drove north to Greymouth, not a lot there...had a bottle of wine on the beach in the evening and that was it.
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Queenstown Rocks!!!
The pictures are slightly out of order, so we'll start at the top and work down...!!! This is NOT from Queenstown - we're now at the Fox Glacier and hoping to go on a glacier walk tomorrow (if we don't get washed out!). We went on a walk through the rainforest to the Franz Josef glacier this afternoon, and - IT RAINED! A lot. So you'll have to take our words for it that somewhere in the cloud over our shoulders is the bottom of the glacier as it meets the river valley!
So, back to Queenstown where we spent the previous four days this week. It was wonderful to have one base for a few days, and after two nights in the tent (one of which was spent with rain dripping through the roof!) we treated ourselves to a motel room! So what craziness we have been up to! Hurrah!
As soon as we arrived we made use of our tent's proximity to the gondola to go up to the luge and spend another afternoon whizzing down the track with amazing views over Queenstown!! The next day we went river surfing, which is pretty much like white-water rafting, but without the raft. We thought we were in for some light exercise, but this actually involved us body boarding along a 12km stretch of the river through grade 3 and 4 rapids (Niagara Falls is Grade 6!). It was exhausting! Unfortunately we don't have any photos of this, well apart from one of us in our wetsuits, but we didn't think we'd inflict that on you!
Sarah went paragliding off Coronet Peak, which is the highest mountain above Queenstown, and after a slightly bumpy take-off had some beautiful views for miles around. But it wasn't quite exciting enough so.......
Yes, this is Sarah! After everything she said about NOT doing a bungy jump. It was BRILLIANT!
RocketDan!!! (Should be hummed to the tune of Elton's classic)
As seen on Jack Osbourne Adrenaline Junkie, this was 'Fly By Wire'. Daniel decided it would be a good idea to be strapped in to a rocket and whinched up one side off a 60m high valley. Once released he whizzed propellor-powered across the 400m-wide canyon to the other side and then flew around for the next five minutes, getting higher and higher!
It was awesome like riding a motorbike at 170 kph (110mph) up and down a mountain without roads!!!
And this is us on the Shotover Jet. (We're in the back row, and Daniel's the one having all the fun!) This was brilliant too, as we sped along the Shotover River at about 80kph (50 mph) in a jet boat, just missing the rocks at the side and at points theough water that really should have been too shallow! Awesome 360 degree turns meant we got a little bit splashed but had lots of fun!
So, fingers crossed for the glacier walk tomorrow - and then we start our journey back to Christchurch for the flight home on Thursday. Boooo. :-(
So, back to Queenstown where we spent the previous four days this week. It was wonderful to have one base for a few days, and after two nights in the tent (one of which was spent with rain dripping through the roof!) we treated ourselves to a motel room! So what craziness we have been up to! Hurrah!
As soon as we arrived we made use of our tent's proximity to the gondola to go up to the luge and spend another afternoon whizzing down the track with amazing views over Queenstown!! The next day we went river surfing, which is pretty much like white-water rafting, but without the raft. We thought we were in for some light exercise, but this actually involved us body boarding along a 12km stretch of the river through grade 3 and 4 rapids (Niagara Falls is Grade 6!). It was exhausting! Unfortunately we don't have any photos of this, well apart from one of us in our wetsuits, but we didn't think we'd inflict that on you!
Sarah went paragliding off Coronet Peak, which is the highest mountain above Queenstown, and after a slightly bumpy take-off had some beautiful views for miles around. But it wasn't quite exciting enough so.......
Yes, this is Sarah! After everything she said about NOT doing a bungy jump. It was BRILLIANT!
RocketDan!!! (Should be hummed to the tune of Elton's classic)
As seen on Jack Osbourne Adrenaline Junkie, this was 'Fly By Wire'. Daniel decided it would be a good idea to be strapped in to a rocket and whinched up one side off a 60m high valley. Once released he whizzed propellor-powered across the 400m-wide canyon to the other side and then flew around for the next five minutes, getting higher and higher!
It was awesome like riding a motorbike at 170 kph (110mph) up and down a mountain without roads!!!
And this is us on the Shotover Jet. (We're in the back row, and Daniel's the one having all the fun!) This was brilliant too, as we sped along the Shotover River at about 80kph (50 mph) in a jet boat, just missing the rocks at the side and at points theough water that really should have been too shallow! Awesome 360 degree turns meant we got a little bit splashed but had lots of fun!
So, fingers crossed for the glacier walk tomorrow - and then we start our journey back to Christchurch for the flight home on Thursday. Boooo. :-(
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Lakes and mountains galore!
After another drive through some amazing countryside, we arrived at Lake Tekapo - famous because the glaciers in the mountains grinding against the rocks make it a pure turquoise colour. And it really was beautiful (but absolutely freezing to swim in - though we didn't let that stop us!). The bottom photo with the lake and benches shows you the view we got from our tent this morning when we woke up! The weather was absolutely gorgeous when we arrived so we spoiled ourselves with a scenic flight known as the Grand Traverse. We were in a little Cessna plane, and flew right over Lake Tekapo into the mountains. We got wonderful aerial views of Mount Cook and the Fox and Franz Josef glaciers (hoping to do a walk on one of the glaciers later in our trip!). We're now at Lake Wanaka and have spent the afternoon sunbathing on the lakeside and enjoying an icecream! Off to Queenstown tomorrow for some adrenaline-fuelled activities!
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Journey to the South Island
Hello again, sorry for not updating the Blog for some time but as you will find out we have been really busy and done so many things.The PC I am writing this entry from does not have a memory card reader so I am afraid no Pictures for you to marvel at this time...but I am sure we will find another Internet Cafe with Card reader on our Trip.
Right here it goes....We left Auckland on the Monday and picked up our little blue Korean Car and drove to the Coromandel Peninsula, as the weather was not very good we put up our tent and went for a little walk in the hope that Tuesday would be better. Well it turns out Tuesday was better but we decided to drive to Rotorua that morning. We arrived in Rotorua and had a session in the ensuite Spa Pool in out Motel :-) Rotorua is a smelly old place or as I would like to call it Smellyville due to all the thermal springs, mudpools etc. Anyhow next day we got up had some breakfast and went to the Te Puia Thermal Park, checked out the bubbling pools of mud, water and took in a Geyser on the way. We then went to see a Maori concert, AWESOME (incl. Haka). After that we went to a Mountain and drove up in a Gondola and LUGED it down 3 times :-)) ahhh he fun I had... (for my Dad..Rodeln). The next day we left Rotorua and drove to Wellington, after that 6 hour drive we checked in a Backpackers. Refreshed we made our way downtown and went to the Te Papa museum. After an early start the following morning (6AM) we went to the Interislander Ferry to Picton. Arrived in Picton and went straight for a wine tasting session at the Montana Winery (as you do..)we continued our journey for another 2 hours in the little blue car and arrived in Kaikoura (Whale watching capital). As the weather was really poo yesterday we checked into a Motel and took it easy. This morning GLORIOUS SUNSHINE and BLUE SKY...so we went on a Quad Bike tour through the Mountains. FANTASTIC!!!! Daredevil Sarah...that is all I say.... Tomorrow we are going Whale watching in a Boat...weather permitting.. we will then drive to Christchurch.
Right here it goes....We left Auckland on the Monday and picked up our little blue Korean Car and drove to the Coromandel Peninsula, as the weather was not very good we put up our tent and went for a little walk in the hope that Tuesday would be better. Well it turns out Tuesday was better but we decided to drive to Rotorua that morning. We arrived in Rotorua and had a session in the ensuite Spa Pool in out Motel :-) Rotorua is a smelly old place or as I would like to call it Smellyville due to all the thermal springs, mudpools etc. Anyhow next day we got up had some breakfast and went to the Te Puia Thermal Park, checked out the bubbling pools of mud, water and took in a Geyser on the way. We then went to see a Maori concert, AWESOME (incl. Haka). After that we went to a Mountain and drove up in a Gondola and LUGED it down 3 times :-)) ahhh he fun I had... (for my Dad..Rodeln). The next day we left Rotorua and drove to Wellington, after that 6 hour drive we checked in a Backpackers. Refreshed we made our way downtown and went to the Te Papa museum. After an early start the following morning (6AM) we went to the Interislander Ferry to Picton. Arrived in Picton and went straight for a wine tasting session at the Montana Winery (as you do..)we continued our journey for another 2 hours in the little blue car and arrived in Kaikoura (Whale watching capital). As the weather was really poo yesterday we checked into a Motel and took it easy. This morning GLORIOUS SUNSHINE and BLUE SKY...so we went on a Quad Bike tour through the Mountains. FANTASTIC!!!! Daredevil Sarah...that is all I say.... Tomorrow we are going Whale watching in a Boat...weather permitting.. we will then drive to Christchurch.
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Bay of Islands
We had the most amazing time in the Bay of Islands over the last 3 days. We had checked in a Motel with Pool and Spa pool, so we utilised that straight after we arrived on Thursday afternoon. On Friday we went to the Treaty grounds in Waitangi and took in some Maori
culture, then back to the Hotel for another session in the spa pool! On Saturday we did a boat trip around the Bay of Islands, saw the famous hole in the rock and felt a bit seasick ....in the afternoon we stopped for 4 hours on a sun drenched sub tropical pacific island ...awesome.. After we arrived back at the Motel we had another little spa pool session! On Sunday we had a mammoth day of activities planned. We went up 90 mile beach, saw Cape Reinga where the pacific meets the Tasman sea, went to buy some souvenirs in the Kauri Kingdom shop, and saw some huuuuge Kauri trees. After that we drove back to Auckland and went to the Harbour where the Queen Elizabeth 2 had docked for the night. We are now packed up and getting our rental car. So from now on it is just us two. Matt and Wifey have been absolutely spectacular hosts and we really appreciate their hospitality and would like to thank them ever so much for putting up with us for almost 1 week.
culture, then back to the Hotel for another session in the spa pool! On Saturday we did a boat trip around the Bay of Islands, saw the famous hole in the rock and felt a bit seasick ....in the afternoon we stopped for 4 hours on a sun drenched sub tropical pacific island ...awesome.. After we arrived back at the Motel we had another little spa pool session! On Sunday we had a mammoth day of activities planned. We went up 90 mile beach, saw Cape Reinga where the pacific meets the Tasman sea, went to buy some souvenirs in the Kauri Kingdom shop, and saw some huuuuge Kauri trees. After that we drove back to Auckland and went to the Harbour where the Queen Elizabeth 2 had docked for the night. We are now packed up and getting our rental car. So from now on it is just us two. Matt and Wifey have been absolutely spectacular hosts and we really appreciate their hospitality and would like to thank them ever so much for putting up with us for almost 1 week.
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