Thursday, 27 August 2009
Day twenty six
Today we drove. And we drove. Then we drove some more. Then we threw the sat-nav out the window and drove a little bit more.
Day twenty five
Today we woke up to a clearer day but the snow had melted quite a lot so unfortunately we were unable to do the Shotover River Jet boat as the river was too tumultuous. We decided instead to head out of Queenstown to an old gold mine on the side of the river which we had passed on the way into town. We had seen they also did jet boating so we thought we’d have a look. It worked out in our favour in the end because their jet boat was still running and we were the only ones there too. It was great fun hurtling round the river really really fast and doing spins and sideways drifts. Our guide stopped at various points and explained a little of the history of the Kawara River which is where lots of gold was found during the gold-rush years.
After the boating we stopped in the mine and learnt a bit about the mining then had a turn ourselves. We had to dig up the ground and pan through it; we were hopeful as a few weeks ago a kid found a piece worth $300. Several pans of dirt later and with very cold hands we gave up having found nothing. Not even a shiny rock. One guy who was there at the same time found a little bit though; probably worth about $10 – hardly life changing but hey, it’s a start.
In the evening we had a really nice dinner in a place called Tatler. Mark had pate, lamb shanks with veg and chocolate brownie. I had ham and pea soup, goats cheese and roasted veg stack with salad and white choc cheesecake. Yum yum yum.
After the boating we stopped in the mine and learnt a bit about the mining then had a turn ourselves. We had to dig up the ground and pan through it; we were hopeful as a few weeks ago a kid found a piece worth $300. Several pans of dirt later and with very cold hands we gave up having found nothing. Not even a shiny rock. One guy who was there at the same time found a little bit though; probably worth about $10 – hardly life changing but hey, it’s a start.
In the evening we had a really nice dinner in a place called Tatler. Mark had pate, lamb shanks with veg and chocolate brownie. I had ham and pea soup, goats cheese and roasted veg stack with salad and white choc cheesecake. Yum yum yum.
Tuesday, 25 August 2009
Day twenty four
What a long day! We were up at seven to get our coach to Milford Sound. We got our coach on time and then spent an hour driving around Queenstown trying to pick up other passengers which was slightly annoying to say the least. Our first stop on the 4.5 hour drive was at some mirror lakes. Unfortunately due to the torrential rain they weren’t mirroring anything but they were still very pretty. The next stop was Te Anau; a little town about halfway between Milford and Queenstown. The initial delay meant that our next stop, a wildlife sanctuary, was cut short to only ten minutes. It was only a small place; just about seven or eight pens with different native birds in them but it still would have been nice to have seen them all properly anyway. The next two hours from Te Anau to Milford were without a doubt the most incredible two hours driving ever. The Fjordland National Park is so beautiful and so rugged it feels totally untouched by humanity but for the small windy mountain road than meanders trough it. On one side the road is bordered by lakes so vast that boats appear like dots on their surfaces and on the other enormous snow-capped mountains rise up disappear into the clouds. Because it was raining so much the mountain sides were covered in hundreds of little (and some not so little) waterfalls which looked like little white veins. There had been lots of recent avalanches and the snow in some places on the road side was taller than the coach.
We stopped off just before Milford at a place called The Gorge which is a point at which five different rivers meet. To get to it we had to walk through some forest which was literally roaring with the sound of waterfalls. We passed two or three small ones which were really pretty; lush green forest, smooth rock and torrents of water made for some good photos. Then we reached the main Gorge and the noise from the water was almost deafening. I suppose it was a good side to the awful weather as the rainwater had swelled the rivers and the main waterfall was really spectacular. Where the main body of water fell it cut a massive hole in the rock and it was a really incredible sight. This part of the day was made particularly good for me personally because when we got off the bus we were greeted by a Kea. I don’t know if you know Keas but if you watched that programme on the Pacific recently they are the green alpine parrots that live in New Zealand. I thought they were really cool when I saw them on tv. There are only 200 of them left and there was one greeting us off the bus! His name is Harry apparently and he comes and greets the bus everyday. He was literally right outside the door eyeing each passenger as we got off. He gave a little “keeeeaaa” and went off to investigate the next car that came along. It was very cool.
So anyway, we got to Milford eventually and went on our cruise. It was nice – but the weather was complete crap which meant that the picture card views were somewhat obscured by cloud. However, the rain meant that the waterfalls here were very full too. Despite the rain though, it was still amazing to see – and the clouds gave quite an eerie feeling to the place. We got to see some NZ fur seals up close too which was cool. It’d be really good to go back in the future when the weather is better.
On the way home we stopped in Te Anau for dinner and then settled down on the coach to watch a film for the journey home. Unfortunately our driver (who was slightly on the senior side) couldn’t work the DVD so the movie didn’t happen and it was a bit of a long, slow journey home. A really good day though. Tomorrow we’re jet boating.
We stopped off just before Milford at a place called The Gorge which is a point at which five different rivers meet. To get to it we had to walk through some forest which was literally roaring with the sound of waterfalls. We passed two or three small ones which were really pretty; lush green forest, smooth rock and torrents of water made for some good photos. Then we reached the main Gorge and the noise from the water was almost deafening. I suppose it was a good side to the awful weather as the rainwater had swelled the rivers and the main waterfall was really spectacular. Where the main body of water fell it cut a massive hole in the rock and it was a really incredible sight. This part of the day was made particularly good for me personally because when we got off the bus we were greeted by a Kea. I don’t know if you know Keas but if you watched that programme on the Pacific recently they are the green alpine parrots that live in New Zealand. I thought they were really cool when I saw them on tv. There are only 200 of them left and there was one greeting us off the bus! His name is Harry apparently and he comes and greets the bus everyday. He was literally right outside the door eyeing each passenger as we got off. He gave a little “keeeeaaa” and went off to investigate the next car that came along. It was very cool.
So anyway, we got to Milford eventually and went on our cruise. It was nice – but the weather was complete crap which meant that the picture card views were somewhat obscured by cloud. However, the rain meant that the waterfalls here were very full too. Despite the rain though, it was still amazing to see – and the clouds gave quite an eerie feeling to the place. We got to see some NZ fur seals up close too which was cool. It’d be really good to go back in the future when the weather is better.
On the way home we stopped in Te Anau for dinner and then settled down on the coach to watch a film for the journey home. Unfortunately our driver (who was slightly on the senior side) couldn’t work the DVD so the movie didn’t happen and it was a bit of a long, slow journey home. A really good day though. Tomorrow we’re jet boating.
Love from us xxxx
Monday, 24 August 2009
Day twenty three
A nice lie in this morning till 10 then we got up and headed to the town centre. We had some brunch and then went for a walk around the waters edge. It’s so pretty here; the town is right on the edge of Lake Wakitipu which is massive and is bordered by mountains on all sides. We decided to go on a cruise around the lake which was really nice. We saw all the posh bits of the town including NZ’s first ever “million dollar neighbourhood” which is an area where the average cost of a property is over a million – and you can see why. The captain told us that the lake is the biggest in New Zealand in terms of water volume and is over 80km long – it’s amazing.
After our boat cruise we took a gondola up the mountain side to the top of the mountain which overlooks Queenstown. It was a very steep climb up and gave spectacular views. At the top of the gondola there was a luge track which was great fun; we did five runs on it. It was really fast and full of twists and turns and tunnels and hills.
Mark then decided that he wanted to do a tandem paraglide off the mountain side back down to Queenstown. I did think about it but decided against it so went back down the gondola and waited for him at the bottom. He said it was brilliant though: really peaceful but at the same time exhilarating; particularly during turns. He’s done something daredevil-ish so he’s happy.
This evening we had a free beer (courtesy of the paragliders) in a local brewery which was really nice and then had a pizza. It’s bloody cold here; it’s about minus one tonight but we’re glad that it’s winter as it is so pretty with all the snow on the mountains.
Tomorrow we’re doing a whole day tour to Milford Sound which is a four hour drive away. We’re not driving though as it’s a difficult drive apparently and it was cheaper to get the coach anyway.
Love from us xxxxx
After our boat cruise we took a gondola up the mountain side to the top of the mountain which overlooks Queenstown. It was a very steep climb up and gave spectacular views. At the top of the gondola there was a luge track which was great fun; we did five runs on it. It was really fast and full of twists and turns and tunnels and hills.
Mark then decided that he wanted to do a tandem paraglide off the mountain side back down to Queenstown. I did think about it but decided against it so went back down the gondola and waited for him at the bottom. He said it was brilliant though: really peaceful but at the same time exhilarating; particularly during turns. He’s done something daredevil-ish so he’s happy.
This evening we had a free beer (courtesy of the paragliders) in a local brewery which was really nice and then had a pizza. It’s bloody cold here; it’s about minus one tonight but we’re glad that it’s winter as it is so pretty with all the snow on the mountains.
Tomorrow we’re doing a whole day tour to Milford Sound which is a four hour drive away. We’re not driving though as it’s a difficult drive apparently and it was cheaper to get the coach anyway.
Love from us xxxxx
Sunday, 23 August 2009
Day twenty two
Up early this morning to head to Queenstown. A seven hour drive with nothing but a country music radio station for company (oh yes, along with a gear box which either selects 2000 or 5000 revs and an accelerator which is either on or off we have a radio which tunes between 76.0 and 88.9 – country music FM). In the end though it was a great drive and certainly didn’t feel that long. We stopped first of all in Geraldine and had a cooked breakfast, then stopped at Lake Tekapo and Lake Pukaki which were amazing. Imagine the pictures you’ve seen of NZ that’s where we were. The lakes were huge and the water was so clear. We drove for a while through the Southern Alps listening to Crowded House on the iPod (I know it’s clichéd but it had to be done – if you don’t know what I’m talking about it’s the song from the “visit NZ” adverts). The iPod died after about twenty minutes so we only had the tuneful sound of whining from the car as music. Oh well; it was still a great drive and we saw more cows and sheep than people. It’s good that we can share the driving; it makes it a lot less tiring. We’ve just got to the hotel – it’s nice; nothing amazing but clean and comfortable and with a mountain out the window.
Love from us xxxxxxxx
Love from us xxxxxxxx
Day twenty one
Today was a day of contrasts… This morning we had a nice breakfast in our hotel and then headed to the spa and each had a massage. It was soooo relaxing. The girl who “did” me was really good – she knew exactly what hurt and what I wanted and I came out feeling relaxed and my shoulders felt really loose. Mark was a little worried that it was a bit girly but there were actually more men there than women and he enjoyed it too. So that was my half of the day. Mark then had his choice of activity. Quad biking. It was… (please choose option from below and insert here)
Option One:
… great fun! I got to zoom around stunning scenery on a massive quad bike; spraying through mud, splashing through rivers, zooming up and down hills, over jumps and through scrubland. I also got to play the hero as some knob in front of me tried to take a hill too fast and ended up at the bottom of a ditch with a quad bike on top of him. I came home covered in mud and it was brilliant.
Option Two:
… Bloody terrifying. After a bumpy and horrible turn round the training track I gave up and told the instructor I wasn’t going any further as I couldn’t steer the thing and nearly killed a cow. I then had to sit on the back of the instructor’s bike which, in front of seven cocky blokes, was really embarrassing. I then spent two hours being driven around the NZ country side being scared s***less by the crazy kiwi driving at top speed spraying through mud, splashing through rivers, zooming up and down hills, over jumps and through scrubland. I have pulled every muscle in my arms, shoulders and neck thus undoing all the hard work of the massage. I came home covered in mud and it was not brilliant.
After returning to boredom / sanity we headed home and didn’t do a lot in the evening. We just played a few games of Rummykub and cards.
Option One:
… great fun! I got to zoom around stunning scenery on a massive quad bike; spraying through mud, splashing through rivers, zooming up and down hills, over jumps and through scrubland. I also got to play the hero as some knob in front of me tried to take a hill too fast and ended up at the bottom of a ditch with a quad bike on top of him. I came home covered in mud and it was brilliant.
Option Two:
… Bloody terrifying. After a bumpy and horrible turn round the training track I gave up and told the instructor I wasn’t going any further as I couldn’t steer the thing and nearly killed a cow. I then had to sit on the back of the instructor’s bike which, in front of seven cocky blokes, was really embarrassing. I then spent two hours being driven around the NZ country side being scared s***less by the crazy kiwi driving at top speed spraying through mud, splashing through rivers, zooming up and down hills, over jumps and through scrubland. I have pulled every muscle in my arms, shoulders and neck thus undoing all the hard work of the massage. I came home covered in mud and it was not brilliant.
After returning to boredom / sanity we headed home and didn’t do a lot in the evening. We just played a few games of Rummykub and cards.
Day twenty
Day twenty (eeek – it’s gone so quickly!)
This morning we headed off early to Hanmer Springs which is a town about two hours drive from Christchurch. As you may guess from the name it’s the sight of a thermal spring. The drive up here was amazing – Top Gear should come here. Long windy roads take you through hills and mountains and alongside freshwater streams. The more we see of New Zealand the more beautiful it appears; and the air is just so clean. It’s just a shame we’ve got a crappy automatic which has absolutely no soul – the steering is too light, the engine gear changes are slow and really clunky (like driving with a learner) and the accelerator is either on or off. Even the Fiesta would be a thousand times more fun to drive around these roads. Ah well, it does the job.
Anyway, when we got here we decided that it was far too beautiful to only spend a few hours here so we checked ourselves into a hotel so we can stay tomorrow too. We headed straight to the hot springs. It’s about ten degrees here so getting into swimming stuff was not pleasant, I can tell you. The pools were lovely though and made it all worth it. There were three hot freshwater pools, eight hot rock pools, three sulphur pools, a water slide pool for the kids and a normal pool. Apart from the normal pool the temperatures ranged from 33 degrees to 37 degrees in the rock pools; 36 – 38 in the freshwater pools and the sulphur pools were 41 degrees. Oooooh. It was so nice and relaxing and the setting couldn’t be more picturesque. Trees and rocks everywhere and the backdrop was a massive, snow-covered mountain. The only problem was getting out – it was bloody freezing to say the least. Oh, and the sulphur pools stank to high heaven too. Mmmm, rotten eggs. We got a return pass so we went out for a bit and then returned in the evening – it was really nice to be there in the dark as well; a bit quieter and the lights are really cool. Even colder getting out second time around though. There was a great machine in the changing rooms called the suit mate. Basically it’s a tiny spin dryer but you pop your costume in and turn it on for five seconds and it’s dry. It’s the best invention – no more soggy swimming bags!
After washing the egg smell off we headed to the street (there is only one here) for dinner. We didn’t realise that everything would be closed at half eight after having been in Sydney where nothing ever closes. It actually worked in our favour though as we ended up in the only place that was still open and it was so yummy. It was an Indian restaurant called Malabar and it’s run by a couple who came from Mumbai (population 18 million) about ten years ago to Hanmer (population 800). The food was so good and we weren’t surprised to learn that the restaurant has won awards. Now we’re watching the cricket – looks like you’re having good weather over there!
This morning we headed off early to Hanmer Springs which is a town about two hours drive from Christchurch. As you may guess from the name it’s the sight of a thermal spring. The drive up here was amazing – Top Gear should come here. Long windy roads take you through hills and mountains and alongside freshwater streams. The more we see of New Zealand the more beautiful it appears; and the air is just so clean. It’s just a shame we’ve got a crappy automatic which has absolutely no soul – the steering is too light, the engine gear changes are slow and really clunky (like driving with a learner) and the accelerator is either on or off. Even the Fiesta would be a thousand times more fun to drive around these roads. Ah well, it does the job.
Anyway, when we got here we decided that it was far too beautiful to only spend a few hours here so we checked ourselves into a hotel so we can stay tomorrow too. We headed straight to the hot springs. It’s about ten degrees here so getting into swimming stuff was not pleasant, I can tell you. The pools were lovely though and made it all worth it. There were three hot freshwater pools, eight hot rock pools, three sulphur pools, a water slide pool for the kids and a normal pool. Apart from the normal pool the temperatures ranged from 33 degrees to 37 degrees in the rock pools; 36 – 38 in the freshwater pools and the sulphur pools were 41 degrees. Oooooh. It was so nice and relaxing and the setting couldn’t be more picturesque. Trees and rocks everywhere and the backdrop was a massive, snow-covered mountain. The only problem was getting out – it was bloody freezing to say the least. Oh, and the sulphur pools stank to high heaven too. Mmmm, rotten eggs. We got a return pass so we went out for a bit and then returned in the evening – it was really nice to be there in the dark as well; a bit quieter and the lights are really cool. Even colder getting out second time around though. There was a great machine in the changing rooms called the suit mate. Basically it’s a tiny spin dryer but you pop your costume in and turn it on for five seconds and it’s dry. It’s the best invention – no more soggy swimming bags!
After washing the egg smell off we headed to the street (there is only one here) for dinner. We didn’t realise that everything would be closed at half eight after having been in Sydney where nothing ever closes. It actually worked in our favour though as we ended up in the only place that was still open and it was so yummy. It was an Indian restaurant called Malabar and it’s run by a couple who came from Mumbai (population 18 million) about ten years ago to Hanmer (population 800). The food was so good and we weren’t surprised to learn that the restaurant has won awards. Now we’re watching the cricket – looks like you’re having good weather over there!
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