We left The Resurgence after another wonderful dinner and breakfast prepared by Claire and Peter. Even met another couple from the U.S. that were staying there so we enjoyed talking with them. The drive to Blenheim via Picton was beautiful especially driving the Queen Charlotte Rd. It was hard not to stop at each pullover and take the amazing views in, but you can just do that for so long before realizing we have to get to our next destination. We arrived at Stonehaven, another great venue, this time acres of vineyards with the majestic mountain range as the backdrop. Our hosts were again so hospitable and this time we met a young German couple who were also touring the South Island. We enjoyed a wine tasting at Allan Scott Vineyards down the road in the ... read more

We ended our time on the west coast with our stay at Bird's Ferry Lodge just north of Charleston. We had a delicious gourmet dinner prepared by Alyson our hostess at the Lodge with 2 other couples, one from Holland the other from the UK. The west coast is the wetter side of the island, but has its own beauty as you can see from these photos. The drive to Moteuka through the Buller Gorge was beautiful. We made several stops along the way including the swinging bridge as shown on the panorama above. Another blue sky day as we made our way to Motueka where we will stay the next two nights at The Resurgence Lodge. The natural beauty here seems to never end. ... read more

Today we bid farewell to Sumner and our very nice hosts Bruce and Martine at Le Petit and headed towards Hamner Springs. Another breathtaking drive through the lush mountains and valleys with sheep grazing all along the way. Upon arriving in Hamner we found our next B&B which has been a real treat. The location is absolutely gorgeous set high above the roadway with a panaromic view of mountains and river. We did a nice, steep hike today, rode into the little town of Hamner Springs and now will enjoy the hot tub with its wonderful views. The air is so fresh and clean. I have taken many deep breaths, trying to breath it all in before returning to Shunde. More Photos ... read more

We connected through Auckland today and made it to our final destination of Christchurch after a 20 hour journey from Shunde. A beautiful blue sky day. The panorama above is the end of the ninety mile beach at the far north end of New Zealand. Outlined below is our planned route for our tour of the South Island over the next 10 days. From the Christchurch airport we did our best to manuver our car from the left hand lane. We arrived safely at Sumner where we will enjoy our first two nights in beaufitul New Zealand.... read more