March 6-7 A bit of a bunch

We started the day by driving to the Mt. Cook Visitor's Center and enjoyed walking thru the museum, looking at the pictures, artifacts, and videos. Knowing the weather was forecast to become gale force conditions, we left early for Christchurch, becoming lost there in the maze of one way streets and mega traffic. We had hoped to see some of the older buildings and to kind of pay our respects in general, but it was not to be. For any who aren't aware, Christchurch has been victim of severe earthquakes during 2010-2011, but 185 people were killed by the violence of the Feb 22, 2011 quake. Rebuilding efforts are underway, but aftershocks continue, and the city has suffered an emotional and financial crisis unparalleled in its long history. Just this past week it was determined that ChristChurch Cathedral, famous historic landmark and NZ National Treasure, would not be rebuilt; it was more economically viable and safer to build a new Cathedral altogether. We finally wound our way back to Hwy 1, and made our way to Cheviot, where we stayed at an upscale apartment motel. This morning, we departed, stopping in Kaikoura to do the Fyffe Trail Bush Walk. It seemed straight uphill, but the dozens of switchbacks thru the forest made it manageable. After, we stopped at the Ohau Point Seal Colony car park, and enjoyed taking pictures of the resident fur seal pups and large adults. The fur seals have been protected in NZ since 1978, and flourish here in this part of NZ. Back on Hwy 1 to Blenheim, we stopped at The Store at Kekerengu for a muffin and coffee; an interesting cafe set on a dramatic bluff overlooking the ocean.
(Picture is of the fur seals....how many can you count?)

March 5 - Mt. Cook - Timing really IS everything

We checked into the Glentanner Holiday Park, drove up to Mt. Cook village and walked the Hooker Valley Track in the late afternoon sunshine and blue skies. Mt. Cook was awesome! The glacial lakes and icebergs of Lake Hooker (in Hooker Valley) were our reward after a 1.5 hr walk over semi-rough trail and rocks, including two wonderful swing bridges, and we gazed upon the same scenery that the early explorers saw as they looked up at Mt. Cook towering 3754 meters above them. We gave silent homage to Aoraki, the Maori name for Mt. Cook, knowing that frequently the window for viewing and enjoying the experience as we did was a short one; indeed, clouds and rain were forecast for the next day. The wind was howling; stronger the closer we got to the glacier face. Our legs felt pretty spongy upon our return, which just goes to prove how out of shape we really are! But...we've reviewed our pictures (we'll post them when able)...and you'll agree that the scenery is some of the most amazing in the South Island.
(The picture is the view of Mt. Cook from our cabin.)

March 4 - It's all about the penguins...

We stopped for coffee at Omarama, and by chance met our friends Fred & Cinda of sv Songline. (The chances of unexpectedly meeting someone a long way from home at a roadside cafe can't be that great...) They had decided to stay at the Top 10 Holiday Park also, so we made arrangements to cook and have dinner together, and go in the early evening to view the blue penguins at the Oamaru Penguin Center. Before that, Sue and I drove out to see the yellow-eyed penguins, and did actually see one, but he (she?) was so far away we couldn't see it's eyes! At the Center, the paying customers sat in bleachers and waited for the first "raft" of penguins to show up, and the naturalist educated everyone as to the habits and lifestyles of the blue penguin. It was dark before the first of many rafts came ashore, and these guys are SO CUTE!! They're the world's smallest penguin, weighing in at about 1 kg, and stand 30 cm high. They waddle/jump up the rocky beach, then go thru to their nesting places on the other side of a fence. And, are they noisy! They only sleep for about 10 minutes, then socialize or whatever, until taking off in the early morning to go feed again. We all enjoyed a unique experience, and we sure hope the penguins enjoyed it as much as we did!

March 3 - Milford Sound

For a real treat and something different, we took a tour bus from Q-town to Milford Sound, where we took a boat tour out on the Sound, and returned by coach to the front door of our campground. In that fashion, neither of us had to drive, and we could both enjoy the scenery, which approached sensory overload with each turn of the road! The coach tour was with Milford Sound Select, and our driver, Lester, was an amateur naturalist as well as an all around nice guy. He pointed out many things we would have had no way of knowing about, and made many stops we would, no doubt, have driven right by. The bus itself was deluxe, and we had the front seats on both sides of the aisle - talk about being spoiled! The scenery was stunning as well as varied, from mountains to pastures and from tropical forest to small towns, and we were both very busy taking pictures. Once at the Sound, we were ticketed to the Real Journeys Line, and enjoyed a roomy, multi-decked vessel that was purposefully built for tourists. We circled Milford Sound in about two hours, and had a running commentary by the Captain of the ship about the area. The weather was fantastic; blue skies, little wind, and warm sun...it just couldn't have been better...and then we were chauffeured back home! The entire day was about 13 hours, pick-up to drop-off, and was tremendous value for the money. What a fantastic way to see the dramatic scenery of Fjordland.
The picture is from our tour boat; we are just taking off and need to thread the channel you see. Mitre Peak is 1,692 metres high (just over a mile), named after the mitre headwear of Christian bishops. It was named by a survey crew from the HMS Acheron.

March 1-2 - Wanaka and Queenstown

The ride from Franz Joseph Glacier to Wanaka is very beautiful. The weather was clear and we stopped by Lake Wanaka to picnic and check the internet. In the late afternoon we walked down to Waterfall Creek (at Roy's Bay) and admired some small sailboats sailing on the lake. In the morning we drove to Queenstown, again enjoying beautiful scenery along Lake Wakatipu. We walked around the town, and noted we were two of many, many travelers enjoying the area. We could see hang gliders nearby the gondola that goes up one of the nearby hills. Q-town is known for its extreme sports; hang gliding, river rafting, bungy jumping, parachuting, jet boat riding, and other forms of adrenalin pumping activities. We just enjoyed the scenery, harbor front, and local treks, as well as the coffee shops!

Feb 28-29 Glacier Country

You run out of adjectives attempting to describe glaciers. We trekked the Franz Joseph and Fox Glacier Valley Walks and were again reminded how magnificent these living mountains of ice are. In NZ, trekkers can either hire guides to do a variety of glacier treks, hire a helicopter for trek/sightseeing/skiing adventures, or walk the various well marked trails yourself. We chose to see both Franz Joseph and the Fox Glacier ourselves, and were rewarded with incredible scenery that burns into your brain and leaves lasting memories. The glaciers here are unique, as they abut tropical rain forests. The glacial streams are a gray-blue color, as befits glacial ice melt. Our timing was great, and we managed to avoid the tourist crowds and heavy rains that are usually found in both areas. What also impressed us was the fact that the rope lined trails ended within several hundred meters of the face of the glaciers; incredibly close and great for picture taking. The two towns that have grown nearby these glaciers are only 23 km apart, and appeared to us like an alpine village set in some ski area. The rains have started and stopped all day today, and the clouds forming like a necklace toward the top third of the nearby mountains as viewed from our cabin are constantly changing.
The coastal drive took us past Punakaiki, aka Pancake Rocks and blowholes. It reminded me of Bryce/Zion National Park, with geysers of water shooting up (when the tide is in). Michael is looking at the dry 'hole', and in the distance is the Tasman Sea.

Feb 26-27 Thru Golden Bay to Westport

We've spent two nights in Golden Bay, and enjoyed hiking the Whaririki Beach area. We also went to the Wainui Falls, hiking thru forest and going over a swing bridge, our first experience doing so. Stopping briefly in Murchison for a late lunch, we ended up in Westport, at the Seal Beach Top 10 Holiday Park. Internet is very slow, so pictures will have to come later. Driving has been up, over and thru mountains and valleys; one lane roads and washout areas abound. These Holiday Parks have been immaculate, and the communal kitchens, heads and showers are first rate. Yesterday, we had a nice talk with a young couple from Chechoslovakia, and many languages can be heard around. We figure the camper van franchises must be doing well, as we see lots of them on the roads. The larger towns have had Countdown or New World grocery stores, as well as banks and petrol stations. Our station wagon is getting about 26 mpg, not too bad, top speed limit on the NZ roads is 100 kph (62 mph), but most of the roads are so winding that a much slower speed is essential.
Pic: Sue shows the majesty of the coastal rocks at Whaririki Bch.; the walk to get there through rolling farmland, streams and wind blown coastal brush was scenic as well. Our king of hiking.

Feb 25 - to the South Island

We couldn't have picked better weather when we departed on the Bluebridge Ferry for the 0800 ride from Wellington to Picton. The gale warnings for the Cook Strait had been lifted, and winds and seas were mild and the temperature warm. Arriving at Picton, we drove the scenic route around Marlborough Sounds, through Nelson and up towards Abel Tasman National Park to Pohara Beach on Golden Bay.We drove over Takaka Hill, known as 'marble mountain' and enjoyed beautiful vistas of mountains and bays. We've booked two nights at the Pohara Beach Golden Bay Top 10 Holiday Park and will go exploring tomorrow.
To view a map of the South Island, check out-
http://www.backpack-newzealand.com/mapofsouthisland.html
Pic: Coming into Picton, the train of sailing prams were being towed out for their sailing class. It's a mandatory part of schooling. There were so many of them! And kayakers and boaters of all kinds. A very scenic welcome.