After lunch we set off for Nelson.
Went into town in the afternoon and visited the cathedral and South Street- the oldest preserved street of cottages from the 19th century in NZ. We were also lucky enough to see some street entertainment.
L & R x
Thursday, 31 January 2008
Abel Tasman National Park
Did a fantastic 2-hour walk in the Abel Tasman National Park. Beautiful park where the forest meets the sea. We walked to 'Coquille Bay' and paddled in the sea for a while.
After lunch we set off for Nelson.
Went into town in the afternoon and visited the cathedral and South Street- the oldest preserved street of cottages from the 19th century in NZ. We were also lucky enough to see some street entertainment.
L & R x
After lunch we set off for Nelson.
Went into town in the afternoon and visited the cathedral and South Street- the oldest preserved street of cottages from the 19th century in NZ. We were also lucky enough to see some street entertainment.
L & R x
Wednesday, 30 January 2008
Punakaiki & Hanmer Springs
Monday 28th January- a fabulous drive to Westport along the spectacular Coast Road. Stopped at Punakaiki (Pancake Rocks) along the way.
These have been formed as a result of the powerful Tasman Sea surging into the sea caves and blasting spray high out of the blowholes. Brilliant. :-)
We also walked around the Punakaiki Cavern before setting off to our campsite in Westport.
A lovely day.
Looking forward to Hanmer Springs tomorrow. 
These have been formed as a result of the powerful Tasman Sea surging into the sea caves and blasting spray high out of the blowholes. Brilliant. :-)
We also walked around the Punakaiki Cavern before setting off to our campsite in Westport.
A lovely day.
Looking forward to Hanmer Springs tomorrow.
Hanmer Springs
Up early this morning as we had a long drive to Hanmer Springs.
Arrived here early afternoon, settled in at the campsite and then walked down to the thermal pools which are set in breathtaking natural landscape, surrounded by forests and mountains.
A very relaxing afternoon spent bathing in the pools where the temperatures ranged from 33-42 degrees Celcius. Bliss.
L & R x
Up early this morning as we had a long drive to Hanmer Springs.
Arrived here early afternoon, settled in at the campsite and then walked down to the thermal pools which are set in breathtaking natural landscape, surrounded by forests and mountains.
A very relaxing afternoon spent bathing in the pools where the temperatures ranged from 33-42 degrees Celcius. Bliss.
L & R x
Sunday, 27 January 2008
The West Coast
After a four-hour drive we arrived at Fox Glacier.
We took the valley walk to the terminal face of the glacier- only 50m from the ice.
Stunning.
It was then only a short drive to our campsite in Franz Josef.
The following morning we got up early and headed to Franz Josef Glacier.A short 30min walk to the terminal face. As spectacular as Fox.
Greymouth was our next destination...
Stopped for lunch at a beautiful lake called Lake Ianthe. Arrived in Greymouth early afternoon so headed into town for a coffee and hot choc before settling in at our campsite and enjoying a walk along the beach and a paddle in the sea. Gorgeous weather. :-)
Today we're off to Punakaiki (Pancake Rocks) and then onto Westport.
L & R x
We took the valley walk to the terminal face of the glacier- only 50m from the ice.
Stunning.
It was then only a short drive to our campsite in Franz Josef.
The following morning we got up early and headed to Franz Josef Glacier.A short 30min walk to the terminal face. As spectacular as Fox.
Greymouth was our next destination...
Stopped for lunch at a beautiful lake called Lake Ianthe. Arrived in Greymouth early afternoon so headed into town for a coffee and hot choc before settling in at our campsite and enjoying a walk along the beach and a paddle in the sea. Gorgeous weather. :-)
Today we're off to Punakaiki (Pancake Rocks) and then onto Westport.
L & R xQueenstown and Wanaka
Arrived in Queenstown on the afternoon of Wednesday 23rd January. Had a wander into town for a coffee. A relaxing evening.
The following day we did the two-hour 'Queenstown Hill Walk'. Very steep (907m) but the views overlooking Q'Town and Lake Wakatipu were fabulous.
In the evening we met up with friends and enjoyed nibbles and wine by the lake. :-)
On Friday afternoon we drove to Wanaka....
We were up early on Saturday.
Visited 'Puzzling World'- a unique attraction including a labyrinth, illusion rooms and Roman style toilets. We had a really fun morning. The illusions were great and we managed to find our way around the labyrinth before enjoying a drink outside in the courtyard.
We then headed North West to Frannz Josef.
L & R x
The following day we did the two-hour 'Queenstown Hill Walk'. Very steep (907m) but the views overlooking Q'Town and Lake Wakatipu were fabulous.
In the evening we met up with friends and enjoyed nibbles and wine by the lake. :-)
On Friday afternoon we drove to Wanaka....
We were up early on Saturday.
Visited 'Puzzling World'- a unique attraction including a labyrinth, illusion rooms and Roman style toilets. We had a really fun morning. The illusions were great and we managed to find our way around the labyrinth before enjoying a drink outside in the courtyard.
We then headed North West to Frannz Josef.
L & R xSaturday, 19 January 2008
Southland and Fiordland
Left Dunedin early on Saturday morning and started our 'Southern Scenic Route' drive to Invercargill in the Southland Region.
Again- fanastic scenery all around us- and lots of sheep!!!
On our way we stopped at the Purakami Falls and Matai Falls. We also made a brief stop at Florence Hill Lookout to admire the fabulous views across Tautuku Beach.
Arrived in Invercargill early evening. Weather gorgeous so we decided to cook ourselves sausages on the barbie for dinner. :-)
Tomorrow we head to the Fiordland Region and a place called Te Anau. Going to use Te Anau as a base to see Milford and Doubtful Sound..........
Again- fanastic scenery all around us- and lots of sheep!!!
On our way we stopped at the Purakami Falls and Matai Falls. We also made a brief stop at Florence Hill Lookout to admire the fabulous views across Tautuku Beach.
Arrived in Invercargill early evening. Weather gorgeous so we decided to cook ourselves sausages on the barbie for dinner. :-)
Tomorrow we head to the Fiordland Region and a place called Te Anau. Going to use Te Anau as a base to see Milford and Doubtful Sound..........
Milford Sound
After enjoying pancakes for breakfast we set off early on Monday morning so that we could have a leisurely drive to Milford. So gald we did and it enabled us to stop at many places along the way.
Our first stop was 'Lake Mistletoe'. A beautiful glacial lake which we reached by walking through beech forest.
The Mirror Lakes were our second stop. These are famous for their mountain reflections. Beautiful.
We then did a short walk through red beech forest to the shores of Lake Gunn. The mosses here covered the forest like a velvet green carpet.
Finally we made a brief stop at the impressive rock formation known as the Chasm. Quite spectacular to see the Cleddau River rush through these rock formations.
Arrived at Milford and enjoyed a late lunch before boarding our boat- The Milford Sovereign.
A fabulous 2-hour scenic cruise into Milford Sound. Our photos won't do justice to what we saw, experienced, felt and heard- glaciers, waterfalls, coves, mountains, wildlife...
It was awe-inspiring. :-) :-)
Doubtful Sound
Arrived in Manapouri lunchtime on Tuesday 22nd January to board our boat- The Fiordland Navigator. Headed towards Doubtful Sound.
Stunning.
Absolutely stunning.
A lovely spacious boat and comfortable quad-share cabins.
In the afternoon we had a choice of water activities. Ruth decided to be brave and go for the kayaking. I, on the other hand, took the easier option of going on a tender craft to get a bit more up-close and personal with the wildlife, flora and fauna.
Both were really good fun.
After a hot shower we enjoyed some soup before heading towards the Tasman Sea to see some NZ fur seals. The sea here was rather choppy!
A wonderful 3-course dinner and a few bevvies (!) ended the day perfectly. :-)
Up early this morning for a delicious cooked breakfast before heading back into Manapouri. On the way back a pod of 11 bottlenose dolphins joined us. Amazing to see them so close to the boat- leaping, somersaulting and riding the bow waves. Superb!
We then headed to Queenstown...........................
The Waitaki and Otago Regions
Thursday 17th Jan- enjoyed a morning in Oamaru.
Visited the Forrester Art Gallery and then stopped for a coffee and hot choc before stocking up on food and drink in the local supermarket.
We then continued to head south towards Dunedin in the Otago Region.
Stopped for lunch at the Moeraki Boulders. A nice walk along the beach despite the windy weather.
Arrived in Dunedin late afternoon. A nice campste with a swimming pool. :-)
Got up early on Friday morning and headed to the Otago Peninsula. Fantastic coastal and valley scenery along the way. Stopped for a coffee (and brownie!) at Port Chalmers.
We then headed to the Royal Albatross Colony at the tip of the peninsula. Here, we were lucky enough to spot some wild albatrosses (Toroa) soaring high above us, some NZ fur seals (Kekeno) frolocking in the sea and some spotted shags (Parekareka) perched on the cliff faces. Amazing. :-)
After lunch we made our way inland to Sandfly Bay. A brisk 30 in walk brought us to the beach.
Back at the campsite we went for a quick swim before dinner.
Visited the Forrester Art Gallery and then stopped for a coffee and hot choc before stocking up on food and drink in the local supermarket.
We then continued to head south towards Dunedin in the Otago Region.
Stopped for lunch at the Moeraki Boulders. A nice walk along the beach despite the windy weather.
Arrived in Dunedin late afternoon. A nice campste with a swimming pool. :-)
Got up early on Friday morning and headed to the Otago Peninsula. Fantastic coastal and valley scenery along the way. Stopped for a coffee (and brownie!) at Port Chalmers.
We then headed to the Royal Albatross Colony at the tip of the peninsula. Here, we were lucky enough to spot some wild albatrosses (Toroa) soaring high above us, some NZ fur seals (Kekeno) frolocking in the sea and some spotted shags (Parekareka) perched on the cliff faces. Amazing. :-)
After lunch we made our way inland to Sandfly Bay. A brisk 30 in walk brought us to the beach.
Back at the campsite we went for a quick swim before dinner.
L & R xP.S. Photos to follow shortly........
The MacKenzie Region
Kia Ora!
Tuesday 15th Jan- we picked up our campervan- 'Max the Maui'- our home for the next 37 nights. Although small he's quite well-endowed!
We then drove south about 300km to a place called Fairlie and we checked into the campsite. A short drive later took us to Lake Tekapo- stunning. We then powered up and cooked pitta pizzas for dinner. Yummy!
We were then up early on the following morning. Enjoyed eggs benedict for breakfast (well- fried eggs and ham on crumpets rather than poached egges and salmon on muffins!) before heading to Oamaru. Stopped at Lake Pukaki for morning coffee. A stunning lake overlooked by Mount Cook- the highest mountain in NZ. Awesome.
After a short while, we arrived in Mount Cook National Park. Fabulous scenery. Endured- sorry enjoyed (!) an hours walk around the mountains before having lunch back in our campervan.
Arrived in Oamaru in the evening.
A brilliant day. :-)
L & R x
Sunday, 13 January 2008
Christchurch, New Zealand
Kia Ora! ('hello' in Maori)
We arrived in Christchurch last Thursday and settled into the YHA. A great city. People friendly. Weather sunny.
On Friday, after catching up on some sleep, we got the bus to a place called Lyttelton and then the cable car (Gondola) to the top of the Port Hills. Spectacular views. A short walk brought us to the Pioneer Womens Memorial where we enjoyed our picnic lunch before descending back to the bus stop and back to Cathedral Square.
On Saturday we got up early and visited Christchurch Cathedral. An interesting guided tour around the Cathedral. In the evening we went to 'Willowbank Reserve' for a 'Maori Experience'. A great evening learning about Mauri cultures and NZ wildlife. Got to see a variety of NZ birds as well as Kiwis. :-) On our arrival back in Cathedral Square we headed to the 'Blue Note Piano Bar' for an evening of jazz. Brilliant.
Sunday morning was market day at the Arts Centre. We then went to the Botanical Gardens and relaxed in the afternoon sun listening to a live band. In the evening we went out for a drink as we had a two-for-one voucher!
We pick up our campervan tomorrow morning.......
Thanks for all your comments guys- it really is nice to receive your messages on our blog. :-)
L & R x
We arrived in Christchurch last Thursday and settled into the YHA. A great city. People friendly. Weather sunny.
On Friday, after catching up on some sleep, we got the bus to a place called Lyttelton and then the cable car (Gondola) to the top of the Port Hills. Spectacular views. A short walk brought us to the Pioneer Womens Memorial where we enjoyed our picnic lunch before descending back to the bus stop and back to Cathedral Square.
On Saturday we got up early and visited Christchurch Cathedral. An interesting guided tour around the Cathedral. In the evening we went to 'Willowbank Reserve' for a 'Maori Experience'. A great evening learning about Mauri cultures and NZ wildlife. Got to see a variety of NZ birds as well as Kiwis. :-) On our arrival back in Cathedral Square we headed to the 'Blue Note Piano Bar' for an evening of jazz. Brilliant.
Sunday morning was market day at the Arts Centre. We then went to the Botanical Gardens and relaxed in the afternoon sun listening to a live band. In the evening we went out for a drink as we had a two-for-one voucher!
We pick up our campervan tomorrow morning.......
Thanks for all your comments guys- it really is nice to receive your messages on our blog. :-)
L & R x
Friday, 11 January 2008
Mandurah
G'day!
Had a wonderful day at the races on Saturday. Weather was hot- as usual!
Ruth and I placed a few bets and out of seven races we picked four winners including a horse with odds of 17-1 (Dark Queen). Unfortunately we were only betting $3 per race so by the end of the day we had only broken even. Still- a good day anyway.
On Sunday we went to Bardon Park and enjoyed a barbecue. In the evening we went out for Thai. Delicious!
On Tuesday we got the train to Mandurah. Enjoyed a fish and chips lunch overlooking the harbour. Gorgeous weather. On the way back we had a walk around Perth City.
Wednesday was our last day in Perth. :-( We went to a lovely restaurant for breakfast and then went to King's Park in the afternoon. In the evening we went to a Body Balance class. Our flight left Perth at midnight.
Afer a short flight we arrived back in Sydney at 6.30am (Sydney time). Flew to Christchurch, New Zealand, a couple of hours later. Arrived at the YHA in the afternoon, unpacked and settled in. Weather not so warm here- mid twenties, but still sunny. :-)
NZ experiences to follow....
L & R x
Had a wonderful day at the races on Saturday. Weather was hot- as usual!
Ruth and I placed a few bets and out of seven races we picked four winners including a horse with odds of 17-1 (Dark Queen). Unfortunately we were only betting $3 per race so by the end of the day we had only broken even. Still- a good day anyway.
On Sunday we went to Bardon Park and enjoyed a barbecue. In the evening we went out for Thai. Delicious!
On Tuesday we got the train to Mandurah. Enjoyed a fish and chips lunch overlooking the harbour. Gorgeous weather. On the way back we had a walk around Perth City.
Wednesday was our last day in Perth. :-( We went to a lovely restaurant for breakfast and then went to King's Park in the afternoon. In the evening we went to a Body Balance class. Our flight left Perth at midnight.
Afer a short flight we arrived back in Sydney at 6.30am (Sydney time). Flew to Christchurch, New Zealand, a couple of hours later. Arrived at the YHA in the afternoon, unpacked and settled in. Weather not so warm here- mid twenties, but still sunny. :-)
NZ experiences to follow....
L & R xFriday, 4 January 2008
Rottnest Island
G'day from sunny Perth. Weather still gorgeous over here. :-)
Had a wonderful day at Perth Zoo last Saturday. Then went for a swim in the afternoon.
On Sunday we headed out to Cottesloe Beach. Nice to top up the tan and cool off in the sea. In the evening we went out for a lovely meal to a restaurant called 'Soda'.
On the last day of 2007 Lydia, Luke, Ruth and I went to Freemantle. A beautiful town. Had a tour around the prison which was really interesting. In the evening we went out for a barbecue. Spent some of the evening relaxing in an outdoor jacuzzi with a glass of champagne!
First day of 2008- and where did we go? To the gym! Mad!
On Wednesday Lydia, Ruth and I went on a wine cruise along the Swan River. Enjoyed a lovely buffet lunch on the boat. Stopped at the Waters Edge Winery for a tipple. Went to a 'Body Balance' class in the evening.
Yesterday Lydia, Ruth and I spent the day at Rottnest Island- so called by the Dutch as they saw huge 'rats' on the island. Hence they named the island 'Rat's Nest' (Rottnest). They were infact 'Quokkas'. Had a fanastic day. Arrived there early by ferry. Cycled around the island (about 15K) stopping at the various bays and beaches to cool off in the sea. Fantastic scenery.
By the end of the day we were all absolutely shattered!
Off to the races tomorrow. Will up-date blog again soon.
L & R x
Had a wonderful day at Perth Zoo last Saturday. Then went for a swim in the afternoon.
On Sunday we headed out to Cottesloe Beach. Nice to top up the tan and cool off in the sea. In the evening we went out for a lovely meal to a restaurant called 'Soda'.
On the last day of 2007 Lydia, Luke, Ruth and I went to Freemantle. A beautiful town. Had a tour around the prison which was really interesting. In the evening we went out for a barbecue. Spent some of the evening relaxing in an outdoor jacuzzi with a glass of champagne!
First day of 2008- and where did we go? To the gym! Mad!
On Wednesday Lydia, Ruth and I went on a wine cruise along the Swan River. Enjoyed a lovely buffet lunch on the boat. Stopped at the Waters Edge Winery for a tipple. Went to a 'Body Balance' class in the evening.
Yesterday Lydia, Ruth and I spent the day at Rottnest Island- so called by the Dutch as they saw huge 'rats' on the island. Hence they named the island 'Rat's Nest' (Rottnest). They were infact 'Quokkas'. Had a fanastic day. Arrived there early by ferry. Cycled around the island (about 15K) stopping at the various bays and beaches to cool off in the sea. Fantastic scenery.
By the end of the day we were all absolutely shattered!
Off to the races tomorrow. Will up-date blog again soon.
L & R x
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