Before I forget and the internet dime runs out, one of the best wines tasted today, highly recommended for a Thai meal is 'Gewurztraminer'. And Spy Valley exports its wines to Nova Scotia. Despite the fact that Sauvignon Blanc is well known from this area, the Pinot Noirs are the up-and-coming wines. Light, interesting based on where they were grown, cheeky reds are quite nice. I enjoyed the Pinot Gris....very light, soft and surprising. No, I can't change my mind about Chardonnays...don't like them, although the un-oaked varieties were o.k. The tour was quite informative. There were three of us, two from Sweden. We ate a big lunch so that the wine wouldn't hit us too hard. Every place gave us Sauvignon Blanc as the first drink, then we had one wine from different years so ... read more

Got the seven a.m. Coastal train to Picton this morning. I didn't get much sleep, paranoid that the borrowed alarm clock would not ring....it didn't. Luckily I was up at five getting breakfast and packing away last few things. At 6:15 I was outside waiting for free shuttle to take me to the train station which is strangely out of Christchurch city. If you visit here, the shuttle to the station is free and there is a $5 fee to come into town. It was dark when the train took off. Dawn was lovely. The flat land of Christchurch and Canterbury county disappeared into hills much like England. The train stopped several times to get 'warrent' so it could progress. The conducter said they did not have automatic switches on this track so they have to ... read more

What is it with the death-defying roads around here!?? It would be better if I had a fast car or motorcycle and was driving on my side of road. Once you get use to tuning out the spectacular views while gearing down for the next '25 km' hairpin turn beside a deep gorge, it becomes a fun drive. I drove to Te Anau, a town on edge of fiordland. I decided I didn't have time to take the Milford Sound boat in the fiord but I did want to see some of this famous national park. ... read more

So, I pick up the car by one because they can't do an earlier pick-up from city central. Its nerve-wrecking getting into a tiny car that has gears on left hand and hitting a damn, bloody roundabout within 200 metres. Got through it, drove to intersection to get on highway and nearly pulled into the wrong lane with approaching truck. Quick jerk on the wheel, a bit of swearing and I am on my way to Queenstown. The first part, along Canterbury plane is flat with very few cars. I relax and crank up the radio. As the land gets higher the roads twist but the scenery gets lovely. I appreciate the gears now because I can gear down on the steep slopes. I wonder how many accidents are caused by the lovely scenery; when tourists ... read more

I took the train from Christchurch to Greymouth, east coast to west coast, crossing South Island, New Zealand. I don't seem to have time to write lengthy descriptions and will let the comments on the pictures describe the journey. This train ride is suppose to be one of the best in the world in terms of scenery. You can decide. The cool winds made riding in observation carriage challenging and the wet morning may have dulled the landscape for the first two hours.... read more