Goodbye New Zealand

Today was our final day in Christchurch, and our last day of our New Zealand Trip. We checked out late, left our bags in hotel storage, and wandered round for a last look of the city. We were all happy to be going home at last, but sad to leave that beautiful country that we spent of Christmas Holidays in. We're going to miss it; the rivers, the mountains, the hundreds of thousands of sheep, the unique experiences. It's all been great fun and we will never forget those memories of the fun times we had.

As thoughts of home slowly make their way into our minds, we dread the things we have to do to get back to normal. We have 3 cameras between us, and all of them had at least 1000 photos taken. That's a heck of a lot of photos to sort out! And then there's the unpacking the suitcases and all the washing! Poor Mum.

The flight back home that afternoon was great. As usual, we flew back with Air New Zealand, who had their safety video playing on the personal entertainment screens for each passenger. The video is HILARIOUS!!! It’s rugby orientated, given that their crazy about it and the Rugby World Cup is coming up. Check the video out at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9f1awn9vBZE

YOU MUST WATCH THE VIDEO!!!!!

Getting through Customs and Immigration at Sydney Airport was a breeze and not long after we were in a taxi and heading for home.

A Journey to Edoras

Today was another Lord Of the Rings Tour, this time, to the scene of Edoras, where the Rohan capital is set. We hoped on an unusual form of transport: a 4WD with half of a minibus stuck on the end! It was a 2 1/2 hour drive, and there were some great views. When we arrived at the place, we had to walk through a cow paddock to reach where the actual set was placed at the top of the hill. And those cows leave nice big presents for you stand in, EVERYWHERE! And when I say big, I mean BIG. Pretty gross. It was raining and by the time we got up to the top, we were soaked. But the view was breathtaking, and to think, we were standing in the very spot the set was placed!

If you check out this photo you might notice something. If you look at the lady in white, she is standing, and her dress and hair and blowing behind her. Now look at the flagpole and you will notice that the flag is flying the opposite way! That's because that's the way the wind is actually blowing. Someone is actually holding her dress up with a string and her hair has a million cans of hairspray in it to keep it behind her. You can find out the photo at: http://www.legalmoviesdownloads.com/still-frames-movie-pictures/the-lord-of-the-rings-the-two-towers/the-lord-of-the-rings-the-two-towers-12-miranda-otto-eowyn-of-rohan.jpg

Then we had lunch, and headed back to Christchurch, stopping by a small cafe for a coffee and a hot chocolate. Then it was another 2 hour long drive back to Chrsitchurch. Dinner was a the Thai Restaurant across the road again. If you ever go to Christchurch, Galangal Authentic Thai Cuisine is the best Thai you will ever taste!

Big Cherries, Bike Races and Treks with Sherpas

Day 14

Today we said goodbye to Queenstown and headed for Mt Cook, another long drive, but with some differences. On the way we stopped in Cromwell after seeing a sign that read "CHERRIES". These people grow their cherries for the export market, usually Asia. We've certainly never seen cherries this big anywhere else before. They're massive!!! Not long after we found ourselves sharing the road with cyclists participating in The Challenge Wanaka Triathlon, and a very competitive group they were indeed! As we approached the Mt Cook area, the weather turned grey and windy, we couldn't even see the peak of Mt Cook!

Day 15

The next day, we trekked up to the Hooker Valley, with a guide who happened to be a Nepalese Sherpa who knew Sir Edmund Hillary- the first man to climb Mt Everest. So we knew we were in good hands. He also had climbed Mt Everest himself- not only once, but twice, AND without oxygen. He had also climbed Mount Cook, and he said apart from the lack of oxygen, climbing Mt Everest is EASIER than climbing Mt Cook! The weather was wild and winds ran at 60km/hr. Infact, it was so strong, the rain stung on our faces! When we got back to the hotel, a warm shower was just what we all needed.

Day 16

Yes, you guessed it, another driving day. This time, back to Christchurch. As we were leaving today, we actually could see the peak of Mount Cook, finally! It was an amazing sight. Along the way we stopped at The Church of The Good Shepard, a small stone church, on Lake Tekapo. it quite a cute little place, and is especially popular for small weddings. The window behind the alter is completley clear, so that the congregation can see the Lake behind the Priest during services. That sure would spice up the six o'clock mass!

Then we headed off again, and we took the Inland Scenic Route. Quite a sight aswell! Again we stopped a couple of times for photos, and eventually, in the early evening, we arrived at our hotel. quick showers, then off to dinner at the Thai restaurant across the road, that we had been to earlier when we were in Christchurch. The make really good food! And it's really clean and has great atmosphere. All together we ended up going there 3 times in the whole trip!

Queenstown 1,2,3....

Day 10
The first of our full days in Queenstown was a booked bus tour to Milford Sound via Te Anau. To be truthful, it was a painfully long bus ride - 2+ hrs to Te Anau and then another 1.5 to Milford. But, you couldn't come to Queenstown and not see this iconic site. The main mountain in Milford Sound, Mitre Peak, is so named because the very top of the mountain looks like a Bishop's hat or mitre. After arriving in Milford we boarded the Milford Mariner, were supplied a packed lunch and then had a lovely 2hr cruise right out to the Tasman Sea & back. Once out at the Tasman Sea end, we spotted one of the numerous cruise ships that regularly visit the sounds around this area, and it followed us back into Milford Sound. Actually, these water areas are incorrectly termed sounds, they are instead fiords, as they were formed by glaciers that carved out the valleys (not rivers), which were then flooded by the sea when the glaciers melted & sea levels rose. We all thought it might be better to do the sight seeing by plane or helicopter from Queenstown, or otherwise base yourself in Te Anau for a couple of nights to see Milford or Doubtful Sound or the glow worm caves. The latter one is tomorrow's trip.

Day 11
Today it was the glow worm caves just on the other side of the Lake Te Anau - so again, an even earlier morning start to the bus ride to Te Anau, and then a very long wait for the first ferry trip across to the caves. We filled in the wait by finding an internet cafe and blogging to you all - a good use of time. Then, at 2pm, we caught the ferry across the lake to Caves House. The tunnels housing the glow worms are a small part of a very long underground river system that starts well up in the mountains. The tour was a mix of walking into the tunnel caves and then a small boat into the grotto housing the glow worms. As you walked in there was a torrential river running out of the caves & further inside a waterfall that made a thunderous sound. But we all had to be quiet inside the grotto, as glow worms "switch off" if there is light or noise. It was, literally, like looking up at the stars on a clear dark night somewhere well away from city lights. It was beautiful. Tomorrow, a completely different experience.

Day 12
Today, the second of the Lord of The Rings tours, this time to Dart Stables in Glenorchy. Fortunately, the bus ride was only short (40 mins) and in the opposite direction to the previous days. After being fitted with riding boots & riding hard hats. Another 20mins into the mountains took us to Paradise, the name of the station itself, that the horses were stabled. Many of these horses had actually been used in the LOTR films, and both kids got to ride horses that were used in the movie. So they now officially Riders of Rohan!!
The ride took us to the Dart River, where Isengard was filmed and we also saw the tree where they filmed Boromir die at the end of the first movie. Apparently they regularly have films & ads shot in the area, including scenes from Narnia: Prince Caspian and Wolverine (with Hugh Jackman). All in all, lots of fun, and everyone loved it.

Tomorrow we are driving to Mt Cook.......

A Puzzling Place.

Again another long drive, but this time to the small but beautiful town of Wanaka. First stop, Puzzling World, a unique attraction featuring 4 illusion rooms and a two-storey maze. The Hologram Hall  had lots of 3D pictures and optical illusions, some of which seemed quite real. The Hall of Following Faces was creepy but cool at the same time. It had inverted faces on the walls, and the idea was to cover one eye and walk along the wall, and the faces would follow you! It's true!! The Tilted House was one of a kind. It felt like you were standing the wrong way, but in fact you just standing on hill with walls around it. But the best of all was the Ames room. Check out the photos!!!

 There was also a giant two-storey maze, where you had to find all four corner and then the exit, but we only found two and then gave up. And below you can see the leaning tower of Wanaka- with the clock that ticks backwards!

Day 8

The next morning we visited the Fighter Pilots Museum at Wanaka, dedicated to fighter pilots of WWI and WWII. Not only did it have actual fighter aircraft that flew in the wars, other things including the original battle plan for D-Day, and stories of past fighter pilots. Luke wants to come back in 2012 for the Warbirds Over Wanaka Airshow, the biggest airshow in New Zealand and some of the most authentic dogfights in any airshow worldwide.

Taking the shortcut through Cadrona Valley, we headed towards Queenstown. On the way, we drove past Cadrona Hotel, the interior of which inspired the look for The Prancing Pony at Bree in Lord of the Rings. Apparently, Room 20 was used to shoot the scene from LOTR where Aragorn and the Hobbits hid from the Nazgul at The Prancing Pony.

After leaving Cadrona, we headed off again, taking a detour through Arrowtown, a quaint gold mining town now restored. We did some shopping (possum fur is very popular in knits/jumpers and very warm!!), had lunch & continued on into Queenstown, the adventure capital of the world.

The place is still full of young people, out for the adventure/thrill of their lives, and the main street is awash with jet boating, bungy jumping, bungy swing, whitewater rafting, and flying fox options! We headed up the Gondola to the very top of mountain, and then we all went on the luge down. The gondola was over 700m up and on a very sheer gradient so you can see the whole of Queenstown and Lake Wakatipu. The luge was great fun, and "once is never enough" as the adverts says. The luge is actually above the top drop off point for the gondola, so we didn't get to luge back in to Queenstown itself. But check out the faces on these lead foots!

Tomorrow it's Milford Sound!!

On Ice...

Expecting it to be very cold, we all dressed very warmly for our hike on the Franz Josef Glacier. Our guides (Franz Josef Guides) fitted us out with crampons (ice hiking spikes) and boots, so we were well equipped. But the actual glacier was quite a walk (about 1hr) from the drop off point in the valley so we were too hot in all our clothes! The guide, Rob, said we were very lucky to have such a warm day, as the area had had all the rain that came in from the Queensland floods.
After a steep climb up the rocks to the base of the glacier, and with crampons finally on, we started our trek on the ice. The vast "iceblock" was magnificent! We followed Rob through crevices and up ice stairs that they had made with picks earlier that day, and which Rob continually re-adjusted as conditions required. We were in safe hands. At one point, we came across a tunnel under the ice, only as big as a manhole, which we crawled through on our hands & knees. Mum was glad she was wearing her gloves! Everywhere the ice was melting, creating crevices and pools, and waterfalls. The water was clean enough to drink and...icy cold!!

The ice was blue where it was still deep within the glacier and unexposed to air. In other places, it had grey brown streaks where it had picked up ground rock.
After we got back to the start point & removed the crampons, we quickly warmed up on the trek back to the bus! Its not until you sit down do you realise how physically busy you had been for the previous 4hrs.
We all settled into a quiet night after Dad got more photos of the glacier & surrounding mountains, closer to dusk. Tomorrow, we are driving to Wanaka!!

A note for insulin pumpers: To cope with the day-long physical activity, reduce your bolus by 50% & basal by 50%. However, if you are quite active normally you could reduce the basal to about 60% and if you don't do anything regularly you should reduce the basal by more, say to about 40%. The exercise effects lasted well into the night - keep your basal rate reduced to 85% for another 10hrs. Result - No hypo's & very good BGLs!!

Driving...

We picked up our car this morning- and thank goodness it was a Rav4! Dad had to upgrade as our bags wouldn't fit in the Falcon sedan that we had pre-booked.
The drive started with the visit to the Air Force Museum of New Zealand @ Wigram Aerodrome (for Luke couldn't you guess), then the long drive across the mountains. Now we are starting to see some of the legendary New Zealand scenery. We kept going around corners & Mum would shout "Stop" and there would be another photo opportunity. The scenery at Arthur's Pass was really spectacular, and Dad just kept taking photos.
After taking a left turn at the West Coast, we started down towards Glacier Country. We went from mountains with snow (only a little) and braided rivers to ocean views with farms.
We arrived in Franz Josef late in the afternoon - by now it was really hot & we found our accomodation for the night (Jag Escape) and then wandered into town for dinner. The whole hamlet is an action based alpine resort - with helicopters in the backyard of even our cabin at Jag Escape.
Tomorrow, we are glacier walking. Mum is busy trying to work out how much to adjust her insulin doses by so she doesn't hypo on the ice. This will be an experience....

Sheep Shearing, Jet Boating and Hanmer Springs

Day 4

Today we took an all day tour up to the alpine resort of Hanmer Springs. It was dreary & cold to start with in Christchurch, and we weren't at all sure what the weather would bring.



A sheep shearing demonstration from Hugh.
Luke is clearly worried about the sheep's wellbeing.



We started with a sheep shearing demonstration by Hugh at a local farm, not a tourist attraction but a real working farm. Luke and Hannah got to shear a sheep themselves & this one wasn't going to lie still either! Even Hugh had trouble. Hugh said that a real shearer could do a sheep in under 45sec, so we weren't going to be gun shearers. We even got to see the dogs rounding up the sheep.



Luke shearing the sheep- looks like a proffesional! A bit..





Hannah shearing the old Bessie...
Hang on, is that even it's name??





Dogs rounding up the sheep. Can you spot the dog?







All geared up for our jetboat ride.



After Hugh's farm, it was off to Hanmer Springs, & about 10mins out from there, we were taken to Adrenaline Experiences for our jetboat ride. A first time for us, but Mum got really wet on one of the 360 degree spins!



Before- All Dry



  




After- Soaking Wet





The River we Jet-boated on



 

By the time we got to Hanmer, it was really hot & a swim in the hot pools was not something you could do for very long. Mum said the Sulphur Pool wasn't as hot, and we spent most of our time in the freshwater pool. They don't recommend putting your head underwater in the thermal pools, as the water is largely untreated. 

 @ Hanmer Springs Cafe



@ Hanmer Springs Cafe



 

On the way back we saw lots of great scenery- there are so many mountains and rivers! They're everywhere! Take a look for yourself.

               Here is the same river that we
               jetboated on, just from further down!



Frog Rock. Personally, I don't see how it resembles that but...





Hannah and Luke @ The Waipara Valley Vinyards



On the way back to Christchurch, we stopped at a place called Waipara Valley Winery, where Mum and Dad got to taste a variety of Waipara Wines. They have huge Vinyards, and lots of them too. It's quite a cute little place actually, the house is covered in climbing roses and the building itself looks pretty old.

Tomorrow we are driving across to the other side of the South Island to Franz Josef Glacier.  It's 6 hours!!

Boats, Trains and the Garden City!.

Today was mostly a day of travelling. We caught the InterIslander ferry from Wellington in the North Island to Picton in the South Island. The three hour trip was mostly spent sitting in a cafe falling asleep. Fortunately, due to the anti sea-sickness tablets we had beforehand, no one got sea sick, I guess the sleeping helped!

 



Here are some of the great views from a local Picton Park!



Picton is a lovely place, with bay all the way around it!

Views from Picton.

We then boarded the Tranz-Coastal Train and began our 6 hour journey down to Christchurch. Along the way we saw lots of rivers and mountains, and spotted some seals off the coast at Kaikoura.       



Views from the Tranz Coastal Train.



                                             



The Scenery changes every 3 minutes!





The Train line runs along the side of the road.



And it also runs beside the ocean.

The train's back carrige is an open aired viewing carrige.

We then had a quiet night in Christchurch, where we ate out at Liquidity on Oxford Terrace next to Christchurch's famous river, the River Avon. Luke was praised by the chefs for arranging his prawn tails in a circle and even garnishing the middle. They even offered him a job!!!! Sarcastically, of course.

Christchurch was set up by the English and all the city is laid out on a grid with streets running north/south & east/west. The central square is dominated by the Cathedral, as is aptly named Cathedral Square. Its also coined the "Garden City" as they have beautiful English gardens - over 750 of them! It feels very English!!

Mum outside the city centre. That church's spire

 has fallen down after the recent earthquake.

Here are some more images of us in Christchurch throughout the next few days:

Luke at the Christchurch Gondola.

@ the world peace bell in the Botanical Gardens.

A wheat shaped structure in Christchurch, made of street lights.

Some of the visible damage outside our hotel from the Sep 2010 earthquake.

More damage just near our hotel.

 

A fountain in the Botanical Gardens.