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Published: December 3rd 2007
Kia ora:
New Zealand is so different from Australia, very narrow passages where literally the Pacific Ocean is on one side and the Tasman Sea on the other. Very lush, lots of rain, but not while we are here. First we went in our lovely coach bus for a ride into the country after leaving Aukland, the largest city out of both North and South Island. We stopped at a dairy farm (3rd generation) where we learned all about milking cows, and then had a most delicious lamb lunch (something wrong here - at least we didn't have to look lambs in the eye here, that was our next stop). The gardens were beautiful here too (see pix).
Then we journeyed along until we got to a sheep farm (19 different varieties of sheep here) and we watched a shearing take place in about 3 minutes (apparently some lucky guy does 250-300 of these a day). This was more difficult cuz I went on stage and gave a bottle to a little lamb and then I did have to look him in the eye. Unfortunately I do love lamb, so this was particularly hard (however, not impossible).
New
Zealand is a land of many geisers, and some areas of very very hot springs, we visited a cultural centre called TePuia where we saw an area of the earth that just bubbles away continuously, and has for hundreds of years. The heat comes right from the centre of the earth and it was fascinating. We also smelled the strong sulphur as we went to view many natural hot springs as well with the steam rising from the earth among beautiful natural water falls.
We capped off today with a wonderful hotel on a lake, an amazing dinner of duck(had to skip the lamb tonight) and I even beat David on an outdoor chess floor game. All in all - perfect ending to a great day!
Sunday (your Saturday)
Flew to Mt. Cook in our private plane (no check in - tons of food, very different from normal planes - love it)
Absoltuely breathtaking mountains, some snow capped with glaciers, weather is about 75 degrees, gorgeous blue blue lakes, all in the middle of nowhere. We got to our hotel (the only one for miles around, right in the Mt. Cook National Park). We hiked with a naturalist in the afternoon, and learned how to tell the difference between glaciers on a mountain and just plain snow. The snow has no marks in it, and is just a light covering. The glacier is all marked up due to the pressure of ice forming and moving rocks.
Had a wonderful dinner in the hotel (again) - they said a pound a day, but I think that is an understatement.
Monday (your Sunday)
Flew in our private plane to Te Aneu, took a coach along gorgeous roads, white rapids and lush vegetation to our hotel. Then had a 90 min. drive passing through some of the most beautiful scenery ever, of tall mountains, rain forests til we got to Milford Sound, We then boarded a large vessel which cruised for an hour and a half through the fiords. We saw penguins, seals, kea birds, all while dining on champagne and a lunch in our private area on the ship. David was very busy taking another 100 shots or so (we are up to about 800 thus far - and he has edited out about 300). One feels very small in this earth when one sees the monumental mountains that have carved out of the pressure of water and ice over the years.
We also walked through a gorgeous temperate rainforest (as opposed to a tropical rainforest that we walked through in AUstralia). The difference is here we saw glacier capped mountains in the distance, with rushing water and gorgeous tall trees, moss and running streams all the while the temperature was 75-80 - exquisite day.
Thank you all for your continuous comments - love to hear from you. Miss you lots
Love
Ruthie & David
P.S. Tried to download pictures but way too slow on this computer - will try again from Queenston tomorrow. Stay tuned!!
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Aarin
non-member comment
Looks Fantastic
Hi Guys, Wow! looks and sounds like you are having a fantastic time down under. (or somewhere there) Hopefully you can get the pictures download sometime in the next few days. That pinquin shot is nice what a close up. I will wait for you next update on your fantastice trip. Have a awesome day. Aarin