Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
Dear All,
We are both fine and well. We have now been in NZ for one week and picked up the campervan last Thursday and headed out to a place called Akorua on the Banks Peninsula. Parked up overlooking the lake and looking out over the mountains. Absolutely beautiful!!! Went swimming with dolphins before we left. They came to within 5 feet of us. They're called Hector's dolphins and only found in that area of the world. From Akoroa, we drove South and West, stopping for overnight stays at Ashburton and then to Lake Takapo. The sun was shining and made the lake a deep turquoise blue. Started the day in a thermal spa pool overlooking the lake. Water a constant 38 degrees and a great start to the day.
From there we drove to the foothills of Mt. Cook and stayed overnight by Lake Pukaki. The scenery everywhere is spectacular and living up to what we have read about New Zealand. It does what it says on the tin!!!! Mt. Cook is the highest mountain in NZ and was looking majestic with it's snow capped peaks. The sky at night is totally devoid of light pollution and we saw thousands of stars. have never seen so many! Looked like a carpet with a bad case of dandruff. We couldn't take our eyes of them until we developed cricks in the neck.
From Mt. Cook we drove to Arrowtown via Lake Middleton and Lake Ohau. We passed 5 cars in one hour. Arrowtown is a step back in time and features many of it's original buildings dating back to the 1860's. Great place.
Arrived in Queensland on Monday. Queensland is the extreme sports' junkies heaven. You name it, they'll organise it. Bungy originated here. Paul went bungy jumping...................and woke up screaming.
Today, we went on the Shotover jet down the Shotover River at speeds of 80 klms an hour. It was a pure adrenalin rush lasting 30 minutes. Check us out on www.shotoverjet.co.nz quote Wed.2nd April and put in code SHJT804021238225 to see how we got on. It did a number of 360 degree turns, which was brilliant.
After the jet ride, we straight into white water rafting down the same river. Both trips were amazing. Nothing is cheap as all the rides and activities are very expensive but most people are only here the once. Mostly young backpackers in town with the occasional wrinkly thrown in for good measure!
Leaving Queenstown tomorrow and heading North to Wanaka and the Fox Glacier on the West Coast. We wanted to 'do' Milford Sound and the Fjordlands but it would mean 600 klms out of our way.
Congratulations to Andrew for scoring a goal on your debut!!!
We'd love to put more photos on the blog but internet cafes are not easy to find and when we do, there is no facility to send photos.
It's strange to see all the leaves falling as we head into Autumn and it's approaching Spring back home but the colours of the trees are awesome.
That's about us up to date.
Take care and lots of love,
Paul & Marion
- comments