Sunday 20 March, Queenstown to Dunedin Everyone was packed and ready to go by 8.20am so we hit the road, heading east through the Kawarau Gorge which features in "The Lord of the Rings" movie. We stop at the Suspension Bridge for a kodak moment and had it to ourselves. The first group of bungee victims arrived in a couple of minibuses just as we left. We wind our way towards the town of Cromwell and manage to find the "Heritage Precinct" which turns out to b...

Saturday 19 March, Queenstown Our final day in Queenstown is a rest day for sleeping in and domestic duties. But Colin and Tony have seen the steam ship TSS Earnslaw which is offering a lunchtime cruise across Lake Wakatipu. The ship was manufactured in Dunedin and then transported in pieces to Queenstown. She has been taking passengers and freight around the lake since 1912. We stop at Walter Peak Farm for an excellent BBQ with top quality meats accompanied b...

Friday 18 March, Martins Bay to Milford Sound and then Queenstown. Day 3 of our Hollyford Trek involves an eight kilometre walk through the sand dunes and along the complete length of the Martins Bay sand spit. We look at the remains of Maori and hardy European habitation in this area. In some ways this is the toughest part of the trek with sections of the sand being quite soft. We make it to the northern tip just in time for the rain to come down, and also fort...

Thursday 17 March. Pyke Lodge to Martins Bay Lodge Day 2 starts early again with our guide Graham (ably assisted by the lovely Mickey) banging on the bedroom doors at 6.45am. Continental and/or cooked breakfast of Eggs Benedict is followed by a role call at a chilly 8.00am. Get your beany hat and mitts on please. Today we only need a day pack between 2 people, but as the weather is so changable you have to be prepared. We walk north to Lake Alabaster for a kodak...

Wednesday 16 to Saturday 19 March, 3 day Hollyford Track Tramp. Our Hollyford trip starts with a tramp from Gunns Camp in the upper part of the Hollyford River, heading down to the coast at Martin's Bay. Then around the coast by chopper south to Milford Sound and finally southeast by bus back to the start in the headwaters of the Hollyford River. We finish the itinerary back in Te Anau, and then drive back to Queenstown. In doing this we travel around the Darra...