Mount Cook

Yesterday was a very long travelling day. Leaving Nelson behind we drove south through very beautiful scenery of forests and mountain passes,reaching Methven early evening. Surrounded by the chequerboard fields of the Canterbury Plains and dwarfed by a backdrop of mountains.

Our hotel for the night was a ski lodge as the area is one of NZ's top ski areas.

We left Methven this morning for a lunch destination at a farm homestead where we enjoyed the warm hospitality of Di and Ian Mackenzie with fresh produce from their bountiful garden and numerous bottles of good wine.

We then moved on making our way to Mt Cook via Lake Tekapo which was aquamarine in colour.

Mt Cook National Park is known for its exquisite alpine beauty and is home to the highest mountain in NZ, 12,200ft high. It towers above the surrounding snow-covered peaks in the park. Glacial melt gives the Lakes their beautiful turquoise colour. Our hotel for the night is The Hermitage, which looks out onto the mountain and gives a feeling of spectacle and drama.

This last photo taken from my hotel bedroom window. Being up so high is making me feel rather light-headed.........or is that the wine I have just drunk with my dinner!

Tomorrow is a more leisurely day, thank goodness, later start and then a leaisurly drive to Queenstown, for the remaining three days of my time in NZ. Where has the time gone?

Cook Strait

Well my avid blog-readers I must tell you about my night in Wellington. After dinner I went to bed but about 1am got up to go to the bathroom and my bedroom started to shake! Yes, we had a mini earthquake that night, which was confirmed the next morning by a few others in the group. An experience that won't be forgotten in a hurry!

Anyway, we left that morning on the Interislander to cross the Cook Strait to the South Island.

The three hour journey is supposed to be one of the most scenic in the world,, cruising through the majestic Marlborough Sounds, a haven of sheltered inlets, coves and crystal clear waters. The whole place was very beautiful, endowed with natural beauty.

We were then in Marlborough's premier wine region, so were whisked off to lunch and wine-tasting at 

Forrest Estate Wines.......oh dear, more wine!!

Today we were taken on a trip to Abel Tasman National Park, sheltered and enjoying a mild climate, the coastline is characterised by near-shore islands, estuaries and golden sandy beaches. We cruised on the lovely waters for about 4hrs, saw a NZ fur sea colony and returned to Kalteriteri for the rest of the afternoon to relax on the beach and swim in the sea.

Here is a photo of my two travelling friends, Angie from Florida and Bridget from London.

Tomorrow is going to be a long day travelling as we make our way to Methven on the Canterbury Plains, somewhere near Christchurch I think. 500km journey....this is the change to our itinerary due to not being able to go to Kaikours because of the recent earthquake.

Think I am spending far too much time in the company of all these Americans.

Picking up the lingo.....all things are "cool" or "neat". Better lose that before I get home.

Until next time when I should be in Mount Cook......

Napier/Wellington

We drove south again yesterday from the National Park heading for Napier. This town is the centre of the Hawke's' Bay region and from the natural disaster which happened in 1931 was born a celebration of early twentieth century architecture, mainly Art Deco. Nowhere else can you see such a variety of buildings in the styles of the 1930s. We had a guided stroll through the compact Art Deco Quarter in the vibrant city centre.

This morning we headed south again through Hawke's Bay pastoral landscape of orchards, farms and vineyards to Wellington, which is the country's centre for culture and politics. It is nestled between a dramatic harbour and buch clad hills.

This city is of sentimental value to me as Mick and I discussed emigrating here in the 1970s before we got married, as his aunts lived here and he was very keen to come to make a new life.

We move on again tomorrow......this time to the South Island across the Cook Strait which connects North and South NZ. Hope the weather stays good, we have been really lucky up to yet and had sunshine all the way.

Our driver/tour manager Paul is an eccentric Kiwi who keep us all entertained and well-informed all day long and will do anything extra to please, or give us more opportunities for photos whenever possible.

Tongariro NationalPark

 

We set off early today from Rotorua heading south to Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Reserve. It was a very eerie landscape with frothing mud and hissing geysers that spurt out hot boiling water. The name means 'sacred waters' in English but I'm not at all sure! Apparently it is one of the best places to observe a natural volcanic environment in NZ and in it's own way quite fascinating.

From there we moved on to Lake Taupo, the biggest volcanic, crater in the Southern Hemisphere. Set amidst green countryside and spectacular scenery. There is thermal activity all over this region and to steam pouring out of the mountainsides was quite unforgettable.

Then we had a lovely drive through NZ's oldest national park., Tongariro. It is a place of extremes and surprises, a place to remember covered in forests and active volcanoes (hopefully not too active!)

When we approached our hotel for the night it took my breath away. Nestled at the base of three active volcanoes it looks quite majestic. It is like stepping back into the 1930s, elegant and luxurious.

Tomorrow we set off for Napier, in the centre of the Hawke's Bay Region, an Art Deco City which was rebuilt in the 1930s following a massive earthquake.

Loving this country, so clean and safe, and such a stunning landscape everywhere I look.

KiwiCruising

We are now a group of 16.....2 Brits, 4 Danes, and 10 Americans. All very nice sociable people and interesting to talk to.

We left Auckland yesterday to make our way to Rotorua with plenty of activity along the way!

First stop was Karangahake Gorge, a gold mining area , where we had a good walk.

Then we had a fascinating tour of a 90acre kiwi fruit farm. I now know all there is to know about the world's healthiest fruit and the complexities of growing it.

Next stop was truly amazing. We were driven to beautiful Lake Rotoiti where there was a 16m catamaran waiting to take us on the lake.

It was a truly wonderful experience, made even better when they brought out the wine!! Some of the group had a soak on the natural hot pools, but I stayed on the boat due to the awful smell of sulphur which was spoiling the taste of my wine!!

We then drove onto Rotorua where we are spending two nights. It is an amazing place, surrounded by steaming lakes, bubbling hot pools and bursting geysers. The heartland of Maori culture.

This morning I walked by the lake in the sunshine before we set off for lunch.

This was at Lake Tarawera, hosted by David and Karen, two locals with many stories to tell us about their historic ties to the area. A pristine lake surrounded by a ring of hills and volcanos.

Auckland and Waiheke Island

SG'day from Auckland to my loyal blog-followers,

I arrived safely on Saturday, well I think it was Saturday! The flight was extremely long,but made much better thanks to Emirates business class. Only hiccup was that I got a little lost at Dubai airport being as it is so big, and nearly missed my connecting flight. A nice young man came to my rescue and made sure I got on safely!

Now staying in a lovely hotel overlooking the waterfront in Auckland until I meet up with my fellow travellers tomorrow morning,

Today,after a good night's sleep, I decided to take a ferry cruise across the sparkling waters of the Hauraki Gulf to Waiheke Island,only 40min by boat. An island celebrated for its beautiful sandy beaches, stunning scenery and award-winning boutique wineries......yes,I have sniffed out some good wine already! Joined a hop-on hop-off explorer bus and saw most of the island.

Stonyridge Vineyard, where I was "forced" to taste a couple of delicious wines

What a lovely view......!!

 My Ferry Boat

On the way back to Auckland I stopped off at Devonport,an historical seaside village, with picturesque Victorian villas,stylish shops and a relaxed seaside ambience. It was originally settled in the 1840s by European merchants who picked a location to see any ships arriving into Auckland harbour.

This one above would suit me for 6months of the year!!

Have to be up early tomorrow.......8am start.....to make our way to Rotorua. Hope the alarm clock is still working!

Until next time......Sally x