LuAnne

I woke up in Queenstown around 8am exhausted but without a car and my schedule now is controlled by the bus, which I must catch at 9:15. I found a great seat on the back of the bus and sat back to let someone do the driving while I drink in the scenery. This is supposed to be one of the most scenic drives in NZ and maybe even the world! It doesn't disappoint. We passed by the river where the first bungee jump took place, through beautiful vineyards in the Otago region, Wanaka, a sweet town that is supposed to be a quieter version of Queenstown, through the Haast pass with its many waterfalls and start up along the west coast. All the while the driver provided excellent commentary, most of which I have promptly ... read more

After a great night's sleep I wake up excited to head out to Omarama. I was inspired by a video of NZ that Heidi had sent me a few months ago that had a glider soaring around the peaks of NZ. Some Google research indicated Omarama had world class gliding and with the help of i-Site Christchurch booked I booked a one hour mountain adventure! I arrived early to Glide Omarama and chatted with one of the instructors. It wasn't long before my pilot/instructor, Martin, landed and I 'suited up' for my ride. We were required to wear a parachute and as he helped me into mine, explaining how to deploy it I joked that I might even get a parachute jump at no extra charge! Since this was technically a lesson, he explained the instruments, ... read more

It was a dark and foggy night flying out of Wellington late on the 20th. So much fog that we almost didn't make it into Christchurch! But my pilot friends would have appreciated the approach and landing the Air NZ pilots made in what looked to me like zero-zero conditions! Reminded me of Sacramento's thick tule fog that rolls in during the winter nights. I only had the one day in Christchurch, much was spent in the every helpful i Site (NZ Information Center) booking the rest of my trip. My procrastination really cost me this trip. My ultimate goal is Mt. Cook and I had booked accommodation in the YHA Backpackers Accommodation for the next night but not the actual travel to get there from Christchurch. When I went to book a bus, the only ... read more

Maori language lesson for the day Wai = water Tomo = hole Waitomo = water passing through a hole On Monday (17th), Heidi and I traveled to Waitomo to explore the glow worm caves. On the way down we stopped in a small village called Pirongia for a pub lunch where we are dubbed 'Cathy and Kim' by the Maori bartender and chatted up by a friendly local. We headed out and found our hotel for a good night's sleep. We needed it because on Tuesday (18th) we survived the most commercially challenging cave adventure I could find - the Black Abyss tour offered by the Black Water Rafting Company. Basically, the tour takes you through an underwater river system using a combination of abseiling (rappelling) down a 150' hole followed by a flying fox (zip ... read more

Well, it is my last day in Alaska. Rain is predicted. Again. But, my niece has made reservations at Anchorage's most popular brunch spot, Snow City Cafe. I love brunch! And it doesn't disappoint. It is very busy and we have to wait even with reservations! After fueling up we trot over to the farmer's market which I'm very impressed with. Lots of enormous vegetables (apparently they grow large due to the long days of daylight) and lots of local arts and crafts. Then we head over to Resolution Park with its tribute to explorer Captain Cook. We head back to the house for a few hours where Will frets over his NC State Wolfpack football players where his constant diligence ensures their victory. That evening, I have found an interesting tour and weaseled Ginny into ... read more