March 6, 2014. Wanaka, New Zealand. The Haast Pass.

The interesting thing about New Zealand is going from one area to another, only to discover that the topography is totally different, even though you have only been in the car for two hours. We drove south this morning, then east to travel right along the river as it climbed up the Southern Alps. It is quite a road. In one area, men watch all day to be sure no rocks will slide down onto the road. They quit working at 6:00 so if you miss it, your choice is to return to Franz Josef, which is a two hour drive, or stay in the car and sleep. The road is closed until the men return at 7:00 the next morning. The area is beautiful but sparsely populated, even by New Zealand standards. We are staying for three nights in Wanaka, which along with Queenstown, is the center of the Lake District. The town reminds of Muskoka towns, except here the town is surrounded by mountains.This place is a four season resort as the ski hills are close by and the hiking and climbing is superb. You see many very fit people walking around the town. This morning we left the Tasman Sea and dense lush foliage. It is really a rain forest. As we climbed and drove east, the green was left behind. East of the Southern Alps you have very little rain which shows in the foliage. This town of Wanaka is definitely a beautiful place, but it is brown. But you can see snow on the mountain tops and this is summer in New Zealand. It must be cold in the winter in July. Once again, we have had splendid weather today. This is unusual on the west coast. The lady at the resort this morning mentioned that it looked as though we were going to have another scorcher of a day. I agreed with her, even though the temperature was to be 75!!

March 5, 2014. Franz Josef, New Zealand. White Heron Colony.

No white herons were in residence at the Nature Sanctuary but it was a wonderful trip anyway. First we drove to the river in a very old van, pulling the jet boat. Dion launched the boat in about 15 seconds flat and soon we navigated the shallows of the river down to the Tasman Sea, where we entered another river leading to the sanctuary. Jet boats are different than normal boats. They draw 5 inches. During the thirty minute boat ride, we saw hundreds of black swans and thousands of ducks. It was a birders paradise. The foliage is unique too, a true rain forest. When we stopped at a small dock, it was clear we would walk through this jungle along a two foot wide boardwalk, three feet above the ground. The west coast of New Zealand gets buckets of rain but today the area we walked through was dry. The sun was shining on us today. Everyone kept telling us about the unusual and beautiful weather. The spoonbills were still nesting but the herons had gone. The white pines are over a thousand years old. Amazing foliage. Our drive today took us along the coastline. Another superior sight was the pancake rocks. No one really knows how they formed but they look like pancakes piled on on top of another. The half an hour walk out to the shore was worth every step. The west coast of New Zealand is rugged and sparsely populated. There are only two ports on the west coast and they are in rivers and are very small. The road we drove on today was only built in 1968 and is the only road on the west coast. But it is beautiful. We overlook the Southern Alps. The Franz Josef Glacier is visible from our room. It is a beautiful sight.

March 4, 2014. Westport, New Zealand. Birds Ferry Lodge.

Today we drove across the South Island. It was a lovely drive and it took us four hours, crossing the Lewis Pass and through the Butler Gorge. Once again we were fortunate with the weather. The east coast is having a storm today with high winds and heavy rain but we left before the storm arrived to head west, so we had a perfect day. The scenery all the way was spectacular. I was pleased to be a passenger rather than the driver. Our lodge is not right on the sea, but from where I am sitting, I am high enough to overlook a deep valley and then the Tasman Sea. Our hosts built this home ten years ago, always with the intention of running a lodge or B&B. Alison is Scottish and Andre is South African. They met at a wedding 11 years ago, got married soon after and decided to settle on the west coast of New Zealand, which is the least populated part of New Zealand. This home is beautiful both in design and decor. It is sparsely but beautifully decorated too. This a real estate agents dream. Our lunch was eaten in a mining town. In the 19th century, gold was discovered but after twenty years, the gold ran out so the town died. Now with the price of gold so high, individuals are mining again so the town is booming. Of course, we sat right in the middle of the mountains. We have come to expect excellent food in New Zealand, even in the smallest cafes and towns. We are thoroughly enjoying New Zealand…and Birds Ferry Lodge.

March 3, 2014. Kaikoura, New Zealand. The White Morph.

Today was calm but often the crossing is rough. The ferry ride itself is beautiful. For about one hour going from Wellington to Picton, you must cross open ocean and the wind blows hard, making the people riding the ferry get sick. Jurgen was on the ferry one time when 100% of the passengers got sick. But today all was calm and bright. The trip to the South Island takes three hours with the last hour passing steep hills through a narrow channel. It is a beautiful trip. It is always nice to live looking at the sea. Tonight we are staying at The White Morph, one of the string of Heritage Boutique Collection resorts we have enjoyed, thanks to our tour organizer, Aroha New Zealand Tours. The drive today along the shore was beautiful. The New Zealand fur seals were in abundance. Kaikoura sits right on the shore and is a center of hiking and biking and kayaking. It is a tourist town but is charming. Soon we will walk to town. We saw more vineyards today than we have ever seen in our lives. At one vineyard, we tasted the wine and ate their delicious lunch. The food in New Zealand is excellent. The Kiwi's seem to take great pride in cooking and we are the beneficiaries of their efforts. The people are hard working, energetic and friendly. It is a great country.

March 2, 2014. Wellington, New Zealand. The Ohtel Hotel.

It calls itself "the hippest little hotel in the coolest little capital", and I must agree. Our room is charming and overlooks the harbor and the park, so is perfectly situated too. The hotel is small, but our room is big. Once upon a time, it was a home but now it is a downtown hotel with 12 rooms. Today we drove for three hours from Taihape to Wellington. We stopped for coffee and then later for lunch so our journey took us longer. The roads were good and the traffic sparse. Everywhere you drive in New Zealand you see farms. When we arrived in Wellington, our driver/guide, Gunter, drove us around the city to see the Capitol and government buildings, also the downtown shopping. Wellington is a city of 1.5 million people and is the capitol of New Zealand. It is on the south of the north island and is right on a protected harbor. Wellington is always windy, we are told. Soon we will walk around and explore the place but we might just stay in one place and read. We are definitely behind in our reading. Tomorrow we will take the ferry to the south island. I have been surprised at the spectacular topography on the north island. I expected the south island would hold all the beauty.

March 1, 2014. Tarata Fishaway Lodge, New Zealand. The Soft Rafting Trip.

Our river guide was Briana, one of the four daughters of our host Steve. She has been rowing this river since she was six years old, so as she is now 24, she is an expert. The cliffs on both side of the river go straight up 500 feet. You must lean back and tilt your head in order to see the top. It is an amazing sight. And there are no spots to get off the river, unless you go the whole 14K. We started the trip at 10:00 and returned at 4:30, traveling in an inflatable raft. Steve is a fishing guide and he and his client were the only two people we saw all day. We had the river to ourselves. A soft rafting trip means you have only level 1, 2 and 3 rapids. As there had been a dry spell, our rapids were not dangerous, but we did bounce off the rock walls frequently. In several spots, the river is narrow and the rapids lead you directly into the wall, so the four passengers must hold on to avoid tipping into the cold water. Briana brought sandwiches for lunch, which we ate sitting on the rocks. It was definitely not fair, but Briana prepared our lunch and served our lunch, in addition to rowing the whole way along the river. We enjoyed every minute of the trip. Parts of The Lord of the Ring series was filmed along this journey. It was definitely worth a picture!! The water in the river is crystal clear and is full of trout, both Rainbow and Brown. This river rafting was dramatic.

February 28, 2014. Taihipe, New Zealand. Taranta Fishaway Lodge.

Never in a million years would we ever find Tarata Fishaway Lodge. But Aroha Tours knew. Ken and I are staying for two nights in our own two bedroom cottage, looking across at a cliff that rises 500 feet from the river. We have a magnificent view. Today we took a leisurely drive around the lake from Taipo, and up to the National Park, then through the Rangitikei Valley. Much to my surprise, we visited a ski hill, right in the midst of an extinct volcano. There were big black rocks everywhere and not a blade of grass or a tree in sight. The variation of the topography today was amazing. We are so fortunate that Jurgen was driving so we could enjoy the scenery. The drive from the main road brought us into canyon country, then up over the big hill, finally ending the journey driving on gravel roads, which the Kiwi’s call unsealed roads. Driving on the edge of a steep drop on washboard roads is not my style but as I was not in charge, I relaxed and enjoyed the scenery. I never expected to see such diversity of land in New Zealand, especially on the north island. This lodge is really a farm. The hosts, Trudi and Steve, raise sheep for a living. In addition, they run this tourist resort. Tomorrow we will take a rafting trip on the river. I am told it is a soft rafting trip. And tonight we dine with the hosts. I bet we will make merry. These Kiwi’s are friendly and fun!!