Heather BS

Tangalooma - a small resort on Moreton Island - best known for its dolphins daily feeding of wild dolphins by guests is their trademark and reputation We arrived this morning via ferry at Moreton Island and got a tour of the resort. Got lunch and went on a wildlife cruise on a small boat - saw some sea turtles under the water and some fish and finally - a duogong. did not come too close but did see one. Then had a snack, walked on the beach a bit, played in the water and had a quick supper. very disappointing - buffet was disappointing - salad and dessert buffet was $26, and very little Jenica could eat. meat was an extra $12 - $30 . oh well - had fish and fries - and am getting ... read more

Our first full day in New Zealand. Set alarm and surprisingly had no difficulty getting up. Bus met us at the main entrance to our motel and off we go, Lovely knowledgeable driver with a great sense of humour. His running commentary kept us well informed and entertained during the day. I am not a fan of bus tours but this was areal delight for our first day in New Zealand as we were not driving and could relax. 4 and a half hour drive to Milford Sound via twisty, narrow roads through strange country driving on the wrong side of the road. It was good to NOT be driving. And we were still tired and a bit disoriented. Headed to south to Te Anau - a cute little village on the shores of Lake Te ... read more

Sat. Feb.26 Quiet Day today. Jenica and I went with Simon to watch soccer games that Simon was a ref for. then a bus ride back to check out where they used to live. Certainly was on a high spot. ! Good thing with the flooding. Garden is still growing. Supper at Urban Burger - rather large and tasty burgers, I enjoyed the iced chocolate -like a frozen hot chocolate with choc syrup and whipped cream. home via bus and train. At 7 pm it had finally cooled down to 30 degrees. Warm day. ... read more

Have arrived safely in Australia. Heard about earthquake in Christchurch - did not feel it. All flights to Christchyrch NZ were re-routed and appartently there was significant damage but we are safe. Norm has headed home. I will try to post most and pics tomorrow. ... read more

Zealandia How do I describe Zealandia? An area about 1 sqaure mile or more that is being returned to pre-European days. This area was a reservoir that was drained and left behind a valley that was considered useless. A visionary viewed this area as having potential of returned to native plants and animals. This was a huge undertaking to return the vegetation to native species but also to be home and breeding program for the Kiwi. This bird is virtually extinct except on isolated islands and zoos/santuaries as it so vulnerable to introduced predators. Cats, dogs, possums, stoats, and weasels – all non-native to New Zealand are dangerous to this little fellow. The entire perimeter had to be fenced off in such a way that all predators- rats, mice, weasals and cats – could not get ... read more