We got into LA about 9:30 this morning, but it did take time to go through Customs and then to get out luggage. Brian picked us up and we spent the day with him. We are a little tired but will make it until we can go to bed at a fairly normal time tonight.
We flew on a A380 which has 2 levels. The upper level of course is for First and Business Class. We were in the lower level with the steerage. :-(
We take off on Thursday morning and head to Orlando. Then to rest up from a wonderful well organized trip.
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Monday, April 22, 2013
Last travel day enroute to Christchurch, New Zealand
Monday April 22, 2013
We have breakfast beginning at 6:30 am and luggage out at 6:30 am and ready to depart at 7:15 am. We are off and ready for our farm visit to see sheep shearing in action. It started out very foggy this morning with very little visibility of the mountains as well as the road. It is a bit brisk. We will be taking a couple of breaks before we visit the farm.
So far, not a good day for photos.
This is the church of the Good Shepherd where a number of weddings take place due to it being right over the water. The lake is hidden behind the church.
Here is a sheep dog figure that is a trademark for the area. It looks like a silhouette in the clouds.
We did get to the sheep farm. The owner and his wife are young. They have 4 young children to assist. He was a Philosophy Major and now this is his career. This farm is a third generation farm. His mother called him as he was taking his final exam since the farm was in great duress at the time. His father had tried his hand at dairy farming but didn't know the business very well. Charles the son and current owner was dropped into the business. He pulled the dairy industry together for a time and has since sold or leased that portion. Seems he made a good profit from the dairy portion and now has only sheep.
He has also written a children's book entitled "Sam & Poppy A Dag of a Tale".
He also writes professional books and gives lectures or goes to the farms to assist others in trying to make their farms profitable.
He has gone through training to shear sheep which takes about 5 years. They compare sheep shearing to running a marathon, therefore if you shear sheep for 4 days of 9 hours as day, then you would have to have the endurance of running 4 marathons. Whew!
The sheared wool is then somewhat sorted according to where it was sheared from. The thickness and fineness are decided.
The wool is then put in large bags and sold according to kilograms. The finer wool is worth more per kilogram than the thick variety.
After our little tour we were invited over to the homestead and his wife Abby had warm cookies and juice waiting for us. That was where he had his book available for sale and he was there to autograph it.
Their house is also one of those that had earthquake damage. That has been since 2011and is now almost ready for repair. Ir has taken some time to get lots of areas of Christchurch and surrounding towns back to normal. Their home is quite old and can not even be washed until repair is complete.
You probably can not tell, but there is plenty of bird poop all over the side of the house.
We toured the Antarctic Museum. It was very authentic with the 123 mph wind area. Wow!
and we thought WI was cold.
Brrrrrrrrrr
We were also able to see some penguins.
Then we had a nice dinner at a historic home (actually a large tent outside the home). This was due to earthquake damage to the historic home.
Now to get things packed so we can put our luggage out at 3 AM for our first flight to return to LAX.
Location:Holly Road,St Albans,New Zealand
Journey to Mt. Cook
Sunday April, 21, 2013
We had a dinner last night with a host family. We were picked up at 6:00 PM along with another couple to enjoy a dinner with a New Zealand family. It was a very nice visit and dinner. The food and the conversation were both very good. The host couple live in Arrowtown.
We had a fire alarm this morning that got everyone out of the hotel a bit earlier than planned. The alarm did not even sound on our level, so hotel staff were going up and down the hall knocking and opening doors to alert guests to evacuate. It must have been a false alarm since everyone was allowed in after about 10 minutes.
We drove to Arrowtown which is only 20 minutes away from Queenstown.
Here we walked up and down the streets of shops. The town used to be an old mining town and the building fronts have been preserved to keep some of the history. There are still some miners' cottages that have also been restored. It was a neat little town.
The old town look. The street is now paved but the old fronts are a nice touch.
Here is a miner's cottage but this one is a bit larger than most. This miner must have done quite well. The shutters and trees and fence of course have been added. There were no native deciduous trees at that time.
It definitely is fall in this part of New Zealand. The leaves are so colorful with the sun shining on them.
We stopped at a Mrs. Jones large fruit stand which had cookies, nuts, candy, jelly as well as lots of fruits. We drove through the town of Cromwell that was once flooded and rebuilt. It is considered the oldest new town in New Zealand. This whole area is noted for fruit so hence their town icon is a a large display of fruit. It resembles Fruit of the Loom a little bit.
I had a little bit of a problem taking this photo on the opposite side of the bus.
Some snow on the mountains, so it is cold at higher elevations.
We got toThe Hermitage Hotel which is in the Mt. Cook National Park. We are not able to actually see Mt. Cook but we did get a glimmer of sunshine and a speck of blue sky for a better photo of the snowy mountains. It really is beautiful.
Just a speck of blue is so pretty against the snow covered mountains. The dark mountains are in the foreground. Where there is snow there is cold.
We had a nice reception with our group this evening before our dinner. It was nice to get together and chat with lots of folks before we make our final return. We hit the road early again to tomorrow and the following day we take off for Los Angeles.
This is the view from our room. It is hard to see the snow on the mountain, but it is there.
There was a neat 3 wheel motorcycle that was parked at the hotel. Just had to put it on the blog because it looked so different.
Friday, April 19, 2013
Queenstown Safari Trek
Saturday April 20, 2013
We were fortunate enough to have the opportunity to take a safari on Range Rovers to see some of the sites where The Lord of The Rings was filmed.
We drove through a road which is covered with water to see various areas that were major film spots.
The road was a bit bumpy but we stayed dry. A little difficult for photos through wet windows.
A very narrow one way road without a guardrail. It would be a problem meeting another vehicle. Someone would need to back up if too large.
We also went on an old coal powered boat. This seems pretty tame compared to the excitement this morning.
It belched out some black smoke.
We were fortunate enough to have the opportunity to take a safari on Range Rovers to see some of the sites where The Lord of The Rings was filmed.
We drove through a road which is covered with water to see various areas that were major film spots.
The road was a bit bumpy but we stayed dry. A little difficult for photos through wet windows.
A very narrow one way road without a guardrail. It would be a problem meeting another vehicle. Someone would need to back up if too large.
We also went on an old coal powered boat. This seems pretty tame compared to the excitement this morning.
It belched out some black smoke.
Milford Sound
Friday April 19,2013
We did take a cruise down the sound or actually fiord. It is a fiord since it was formed by glaciers. We went down to the
Tazman Sea and turned around. We had some spectacular views.
This is Mitre Peak since it is shaped like a bishop's mitre hat. This is the entrance to the Sound.
Sailing down Milford Sound.
Tall mountains on both sides of Milford Sound. The photo just doesn't show how steep the mountains really are.
You can see how it narrows and widens as you sail through Milford Sound.
Walt trying to capture a photo of the small seals that we spotted on a rock.
I could not fit my iPad in the spot.
Here is a beautiful and fast moving waterfall that sprayed on the front of the boat as the captain turned the boat towards the falls. We did get wet.
Another gorgeous view sailing through Milford Sound.
The non-sunny side of the mountains while sailing through.
One last waterfall before docking.
It sure was a beautiful day for sailing in the sound. The sun was out and we enjoyed being able to actually stand outside on the deck to take photos. We could feel small in comparison to those tall rugged mountains as we entered the turn around for the Tazman Sea and returned back to the harbor. One thing we could not do was take the flight from Milford Sound and see the mountains from a different view. The wind was too strong and that is always a safety issue. All in all a wonderful day.
We did take a cruise down the sound or actually fiord. It is a fiord since it was formed by glaciers. We went down to the
Tazman Sea and turned around. We had some spectacular views.
This is Mitre Peak since it is shaped like a bishop's mitre hat. This is the entrance to the Sound.
Sailing down Milford Sound.
Tall mountains on both sides of Milford Sound. The photo just doesn't show how steep the mountains really are.
You can see how it narrows and widens as you sail through Milford Sound.
Walt trying to capture a photo of the small seals that we spotted on a rock.
I could not fit my iPad in the spot.
Here is a beautiful and fast moving waterfall that sprayed on the front of the boat as the captain turned the boat towards the falls. We did get wet.
Another gorgeous view sailing through Milford Sound.
The non-sunny side of the mountains while sailing through.
One last waterfall before docking.
It sure was a beautiful day for sailing in the sound. The sun was out and we enjoyed being able to actually stand outside on the deck to take photos. We could feel small in comparison to those tall rugged mountains as we entered the turn around for the Tazman Sea and returned back to the harbor. One thing we could not do was take the flight from Milford Sound and see the mountains from a different view. The wind was too strong and that is always a safety issue. All in all a wonderful day.
Road to Milford Sound
Friday April 19, 2013
We did try to do some shopping yesterday but our time was really limited and the stores closed early. We are in Queenstown for a couple more nights, so hopefully we actually are in the town area to do some shopping.
Today we are off to Milford Sound a 4 hour drive away.
Here is a scene along the road in Fiordland National Park. The park does not allow any non-native trees or plants to grow or thrive in the park. We also have seen several possum as road kill. The New Zealanders have a joke related to that. Why did the chicken cross the road? Just to prove to the possum that it could be done.
We stopped by Mirror Lakes which were to reflect but due to a brisk wind, the water did not reflect very well at all.
You can see the little ripples in one of the Mirror Lakes.
This is Falls Creek which has this huge fast moving waterfall that moves rapidly into the creek. My photos look a little blurred due to the motion of the water.
Monkey Creek in the foreground with mountains surrounding it. The old explorers climbed over a tree slip or tree slide off the mountain. The tree slide made it difficult for them to climb so they climbed like monkeys from branch to branch.
We did try to do some shopping yesterday but our time was really limited and the stores closed early. We are in Queenstown for a couple more nights, so hopefully we actually are in the town area to do some shopping.
Today we are off to Milford Sound a 4 hour drive away.
Here is a scene along the road in Fiordland National Park. The park does not allow any non-native trees or plants to grow or thrive in the park. We also have seen several possum as road kill. The New Zealanders have a joke related to that. Why did the chicken cross the road? Just to prove to the possum that it could be done.
We stopped by Mirror Lakes which were to reflect but due to a brisk wind, the water did not reflect very well at all.
You can see the little ripples in one of the Mirror Lakes.
This is Falls Creek which has this huge fast moving waterfall that moves rapidly into the creek. My photos look a little blurred due to the motion of the water.
Monkey Creek in the foreground with mountains surrounding it. The old explorers climbed over a tree slip or tree slide off the mountain. The tree slide made it difficult for them to climb so they climbed like monkeys from branch to branch.
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Leaving Franz Josef onto Queenstown
Thursday April 18, 2013
We took off from Franz Josef fairly early this morning. We drove through the Southern Alps on all kinds of switchbacks. The mountains are in the clouds this morning with only bits of blue showing. It is a little cool, but not too bad. We know we have FL blood so it is probably in the 60s. :-).
Just a peek of blue sky between the mountains here in the Southern Alps.
We stopped off on a path to Thunder Creek Falls which comes down off the mountainside. The foliage going through the walkway was very dense.
Thunder Creek Falls. This is in the Haast Pass through the mountains.
Next we stopped off for lunch at Makarora a small town of 12 population.
Across the road was a herd of deer. The deer are raised over here so have no reason to jump the fences. The venison is shipped to lots of other countries. Walt is trying to take a photo of the herd in the far right corner.
We drove along side Lake Wanaka which is 50 miles long and 1,000 feet deep. Lake Hawea is another of these large deep lakes from glaciers.
Lake Hawea.
Lake Wanaka.
This whole area is also the area where the land is leased from the government and here a special breed of sheep called merino are raised. This very fine wool is used in Merino sweaters and such. The thread is very fine and therefore not itchy on your skin. Some suits are also designed with this nice soft and wicking wool. It keeps you warm in winter and cool in summer. They have had an overload of possum and are now raising them to blend with the merino wool and have a new blend of sweater that feels almost like silk. I believe the new product is called Merino Mink. Queenstown is the town to look for these products. Icebreaker is the New Zealand brand that is sold here and shipped elsewhere.
Next we stopped off at the Gibbston Valley Winery near Queenstown, New Zealand.
As you can see Walt is enjoying a sample. :-)
We the ate dinner up at the Skyline Restaurant with a beautiful overlook of the town of Queenstown. We also saw a Maori presentation there.
This is the cable car taking us up to the mountainside.
This is the beautiful view from up above of the town of Queenstown and the surrounding lake.
We had a very nice day but it definitely cooled down by the time evening rolled around.
We took off from Franz Josef fairly early this morning. We drove through the Southern Alps on all kinds of switchbacks. The mountains are in the clouds this morning with only bits of blue showing. It is a little cool, but not too bad. We know we have FL blood so it is probably in the 60s. :-).
Just a peek of blue sky between the mountains here in the Southern Alps.
We stopped off on a path to Thunder Creek Falls which comes down off the mountainside. The foliage going through the walkway was very dense.
Thunder Creek Falls. This is in the Haast Pass through the mountains.
Next we stopped off for lunch at Makarora a small town of 12 population.
Across the road was a herd of deer. The deer are raised over here so have no reason to jump the fences. The venison is shipped to lots of other countries. Walt is trying to take a photo of the herd in the far right corner.
We drove along side Lake Wanaka which is 50 miles long and 1,000 feet deep. Lake Hawea is another of these large deep lakes from glaciers.
Lake Hawea.
Lake Wanaka.
This whole area is also the area where the land is leased from the government and here a special breed of sheep called merino are raised. This very fine wool is used in Merino sweaters and such. The thread is very fine and therefore not itchy on your skin. Some suits are also designed with this nice soft and wicking wool. It keeps you warm in winter and cool in summer. They have had an overload of possum and are now raising them to blend with the merino wool and have a new blend of sweater that feels almost like silk. I believe the new product is called Merino Mink. Queenstown is the town to look for these products. Icebreaker is the New Zealand brand that is sold here and shipped elsewhere.
Next we stopped off at the Gibbston Valley Winery near Queenstown, New Zealand.
As you can see Walt is enjoying a sample. :-)
We the ate dinner up at the Skyline Restaurant with a beautiful overlook of the town of Queenstown. We also saw a Maori presentation there.
This is the cable car taking us up to the mountainside.
This is the beautiful view from up above of the town of Queenstown and the surrounding lake.
We had a very nice day but it definitely cooled down by the time evening rolled around.
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
New Zealand, leaving Christchurch to Franz Josef Glacier
Wednesday April 17, 2013
There was a great deal of damage to the Christchurch area due to the earthquake of 2011. Most of the downtown area is either being rebuilt, torn down or currently in a sad state. It does look as though there is great progress despite the damage to such a neat city.
We have an early start to our day once again as we leave Christchurch. We are on our way by trains and then coach to Franz Josef Glacier area. We will spend the night up near the glacier.
Mountains along the train of the TranzAlpine to Arthur Pass. That is where we will catch our bus. The mountains are really quite steep and vary from being very wooded to dry. We went through the flats first where there were lots of sheep and fertile fields. This was called The Canterbury Plains.
You can tell by the spots on the photo that it is starting to rain once again. It does look like we will have rainy weather throughout New Zealand. The train was about a 2 1/2 hour trip.
This is the clock tower in Hokitika where Jade is native to this area. It is a nice little town but mostly for tourists. This was a nice stop off to change money, have lunch and head to glacier area which is about 2 hours away.
Franz Josef Glacier and waterfalls nearby. Just very lovely. We were really lucky to have a glimmer of sunshine that peeked through.
There was a great deal of damage to the Christchurch area due to the earthquake of 2011. Most of the downtown area is either being rebuilt, torn down or currently in a sad state. It does look as though there is great progress despite the damage to such a neat city.
We have an early start to our day once again as we leave Christchurch. We are on our way by trains and then coach to Franz Josef Glacier area. We will spend the night up near the glacier.
Mountains along the train of the TranzAlpine to Arthur Pass. That is where we will catch our bus. The mountains are really quite steep and vary from being very wooded to dry. We went through the flats first where there were lots of sheep and fertile fields. This was called The Canterbury Plains.
You can tell by the spots on the photo that it is starting to rain once again. It does look like we will have rainy weather throughout New Zealand. The train was about a 2 1/2 hour trip.
This is the clock tower in Hokitika where Jade is native to this area. It is a nice little town but mostly for tourists. This was a nice stop off to change money, have lunch and head to glacier area which is about 2 hours away.
Franz Josef Glacier and waterfalls nearby. Just very lovely. We were really lucky to have a glimmer of sunshine that peeked through.
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