Blogs from Queenstown, South Island, New Zealand, Oceania

What an adventure we had this morning! We all piled into a jet boat and went white water rafting up and down the river, through the rapids and doing 360 spins. Anne & I were screaming & squealing with laughter. A couple of times we screamed because we came within a foot of cliffs of the river canyon and thought we were going to crash. But the driver was experienced and she knew what she was doing. Then it was time for lunch at The Stoaker Room. We were in an outside tent at a long banquet style table with birds flying around inside looking for handouts. The food is slow cooked/smoked in oak barrels and then served on long curved barrel staves. First we had fresh baked bread with olive oil and roasted red pepper ... read more

Another grey, miserable and fairly cold day – around 14 degree’s so a bit like being back in the UK really! Our plan today was to get from Te Anau round to Queenstown, with a stop off at Arrowtown on the way. We didn’t rush to get out this morning as the marathon we’d found out about the day before was due to take place in the morning and as a result there were road closures in both the places we wanted to go to today. The drive itself was lovely, as are most drives over here as they always involve views of lakes, mountains, rivers and creeks. We had a pit stop at Garston, which has the title of the most inland settlement in New Zealand. Such a pretty place and really nicely kept – ... read more

Bonjour à tous, Je vais commencer par l'anecdote du matin. Le taxi commandé est bien là à l'heure, on se rend à l'aéroport, environ 25km du centre, dimanche matin pas de circulation, il me dépose, je le paie, demande un facture pour me faire rembourser, assez sympathique comme gars, il sort ma valise du coffre, s'en va, je vois l'espace fumeur, je me précipite, et je constate que j'ai oublié mon sac à dos sur le siège. Je reviens vite, un chauffeur de la même compagnie (heureusement que j'ai ma facture) je lui explique mon problème et lui demande s'il peut contacter cette voiture. Il appelle le central commence à expliquer, et là d'un seul coup je m'aperçois que mon sac je l'ai sur l'épaule. Je pense que c'est la fatigue, sur les 3 dernières nuits, ... read more

We had had exactly 12 hours in bed when we awoke this morning. That is what can happen when there is no cell phone coverage, no internet and no television in your overnight accommodation. It wasn’t that we slept for 12 hours as we did have our kindles to read which passed away some of the time last night after our dinner in the adjacent restaurant, And Gretchen did get to check the emails at the reception in the lounge bar. So heading onto Queenstown today and what promised to be an upmarket apartment will be like coming back to civilisation after a one night stay in a remote location. It was only a short drive in comparison to others so far into Queenstown so getting on the road before checkout time of 10am wasn’t a ... read more

Arrived here in Queenstown after a longer than expected drive from Franz Josef; only because I hadn't looked at the map too carefully and should have realised it wasn't quite as straightforward as I though it might be. But what a drive - through beautiful podocarp forest towering over the road for kilometre after kilometre. Spectacular. We'd walked up to the viewing place for the Franz Josef Glacier after breakfast at the Rainforest Retreat (which was good place to stay in FJ. They upgraded us so Lyn was very happy that we had bathroom facilities in our room. Friendly staff and comfortable surroundings). The glacier has retreated kilometres since the first photo was taken in the 1860's but it's still possible to see its grandeur and what must have been as it tumbles down the mountain ... read more