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| Honeymoon |
Monday, January 3, 2011
Friday, December 3, 2010
Home Safe
Hey Everyone,
We are home safe in Urbana, but pretty jet-lagged. We got back around 8am on Thursday December 2nd. We had some ordeals getting back, but we will update that in a further post.
-Dan
We are home safe in Urbana, but pretty jet-lagged. We got back around 8am on Thursday December 2nd. We had some ordeals getting back, but we will update that in a further post.
-Dan
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Foot massages
Jeni forgot to mention we both got Thai foot massages today and they were shweet. Feet feel awesome, just in time for like 20 hours on an airplane. Sigh. See y'all soon!
1/12/2010 First Dec 1st
Here we are getting ready to leave. We only had a few things on our to do list today. The most important being packing. We had to pack for both Air New Zealand and the US airlines. Here carry on baggage can not be more than 7 kegs or 14 pounds so we need to check two bags. In the US it costs $25 per checked bag so we will carry on the other bag then. Not too mention but the US also has all the liquid restrictions that New Zealand doesn't have. So we had to make sure all liquids were safely in our 1 checked bag.
We also went to get our Shotover Jet video. They had a power outage yesterday and so we were not able to view it. They said we could have it sent today. So we have to pick that up in 30 mins or so. Then it's a long wait until out flight leaves at 4:55pm local time. The. We have a long layover in Auckland and then off to LA around 9 pm tonight. So we will blog when we arrive in the US.
Cheers From New Zealand
Jeni and Dan
We also went to get our Shotover Jet video. They had a power outage yesterday and so we were not able to view it. They said we could have it sent today. So we have to pick that up in 30 mins or so. Then it's a long wait until out flight leaves at 4:55pm local time. The. We have a long layover in Auckland and then off to LA around 9 pm tonight. So we will blog when we arrive in the US.
Cheers From New Zealand
Jeni and Dan
30/11/2010 Queenstown Day 4
After much debate and thought Dan and I booked an extra activity for this morning. After the Milford Sound bus dropped us off the night before we booked at 9 am jet boating experience. We choose to try this out even though I thought it might be a little bit too much for me. I decided to try it anyway. So we got up early and prepared for the boat ride. We got to our transport which took us 10 mins or so out of town to the Shotover River. This is a river with many canyons and this company Shotover Jet is the exclusive operator in this river. Once we arrive we see our jet boat waiting. Now for those of you who don't know what a jet boat is here is a quick run down. A jet boat pulls water from underneath it and propels it out the back. That is what gives it it's propulsion. This is a very good method and allows the boat to operate in shallow water. In fact they claim 3 inches is enough water to still maintain propulsion. The other neat thing about the boat is that we float on water and the steering is really agile so that it allows us to travel at high speeds and avoid cliffs and water submerged rocks and trees. We also got the chance to make some 360 degree turns. These turns came with a bit of water and we always got wet. Those on the outside got the most and Dan was on the outside. The boat ride lasted 30 mins but didn't seem that long. It was really fun and both Dan and I we laughing and having a great time. I am really glad we decided to add this final activity in.
After jet boating we took the chance to eat a bit of breakfast. We went to a cafe called Vudu Cafe. This cafe is only open for breakfast and lunch some figured it was a good chance to eat here. We shared the French toast and it was great. I especially liked all the fruit that was included. We even got half a kiwi.
Our last activity of the honeymoon is our half day wine tour of Central Otago. We got picked up at 12pm by Paul and were the only two on the tour. At first I thought it would be weird with all the personal attention but it turned out to be nice. We could ask any question and he seemed very knowledgable of the region. The Central Otago region is a specialist Pinot Noir producer. Almost 80% of the grapes grown there are Pinot Noir. Paul told us that Pinot noir grapes like hot days and cold nights which is the exact climate of this region. I tried two Pinot Noir vines and didn't really like them. I am not a red drinker and even the lightest Pinot's are too harsh for my tastes. I did very much like the Rieslings that I tried. I realized that I like sweeter wines but also not mind the more dry ones. Dan by far favors dry wines. He also enjoyed many of the Pinot Noir's he tried.
The first vineyard we tasted at was Peregrine named after the American Falcon. This vineyard was very modern and had a curved shaped roof to mimic a wing of a Peregrine Falcon. They had an amazing Riesling and I hope we can find it in the states. We left this vineyard for a drive up to Bannockburn area. Here we visited Carrick. A small vineyard that also runs a restaurant. We had a nice lunch here after our tastings. Again I like their Riessling but unfortunately they do not currently have a distributor in the US. So for now it is just a very nice wine to remember if we come back or happen to go to Australia. The lunch was very good. It was a platter that had not much Jeni favorable items. It was a small assortment of delicacies served with bread. I stuck to easy bread items eating some venison sausage (my first try at venison) and I liked it very much. I also ate a lot of Brie and ate a small piece of Salmon. Dan mentioned that I would like the hummus and so I ate a few pieces of hummus bread. Dan of course didn't have much of a problem eating. He even tried a mussel that was still in the shell. Something I would not do. He told me after that he was worried but was happy to see me try a few new things.
After lunch we headed even farther into the valley where the rain fall is small and the heat is great. We stopped at Aurum (gold in Latin) and enjoyed some very good wine. This vineyard was the smallest we visited and was just run by a family. It seems like they are the most boutique because they have nearly no distribution and only really being a locally drank wine. We bought a bottle of their Riessling to enjoy that night. I did happen to try their Pinot Noir Reserve (their most costly bottle) and didn't hate it but probably wouldn't enjoy it more than a few sips. Dan was satisfied with their Pinot Noir better than the reserve but the reserve is a lighter more easier Pinot Noir and Dan likes a full flavored wine. He tells me that their Pinot Noir was the best of the day. If I remember correctly they have won some a awards for their Pinot Noir wines so Dan is not the only one who thinks that.
We stopped for a bit in Historic Cromwell and enjoyed seeing the old buildings that were moved from the old main street to the new one once the Lake Dunsten was made from a hydroelectric dam being installed downstream. The town was a mining town and has grown to a decent size over the last 140 years. It remains largely a vineyard town as it is surrounded by grape vines and few other fruit orchards. Once we were done there we made our way back towards Queenstown. We first stopped at an overlook over the Karawau River. This river has category 3 rapids where we were standing but farther up stream there are some category 5 rapids. Paul told us they do rafting and river surfing on this part of the river. So I'm thinking if my Mom ever makes it here she needs to raft this river. She quite enjoyed her time in Montana and so this river looks like it could be fun. As we continued to make our way to the final vineyard we stopped along the road and watched a bungy jumper jump off a bridge. The AJ Hackett Bungy here was the first commercial bungy in the world. They jump off the old suspension bridge on that section of highway 6. Just a short walk over to the see down the Karawau River again. This spot was a filming location for the Lord of the Rings. It is a scene near the end of the first movie as they are boating down a river through two large statues. Dan and I will have to watch the movie now and see the scene.
Finally we got to the Chard Farm vineyard. This was the biggest vineyard by far. As with Peregrine they have a US distributor. So we will have to search when we get home. Not many of there wines stood out to me all that much but by the end of a long tasting day they seemed to all blend together. Dan really like the second Pinot Noir he tried. I am convinced that Dan is very fond of red. The vineyard employee was quite fun to talk to as we both share a similar eating habit. After this vineyard it was time to head back to Queenstown. We made a quick drive through Arrowtown but mainly just drove straight back. We had a good time overall though ready for dinner to help digest all the tasting we did. We had an early dinner and then waited for sunset in our room. This seemed to never come and finally about 9:45 it was almost dark. Dan and I took a walk and took some night pictures. Though we realized that these photos would not be a good as the Auckland ones and so we quickly returned to our room and crashed for the night.
After jet boating we took the chance to eat a bit of breakfast. We went to a cafe called Vudu Cafe. This cafe is only open for breakfast and lunch some figured it was a good chance to eat here. We shared the French toast and it was great. I especially liked all the fruit that was included. We even got half a kiwi.
Our last activity of the honeymoon is our half day wine tour of Central Otago. We got picked up at 12pm by Paul and were the only two on the tour. At first I thought it would be weird with all the personal attention but it turned out to be nice. We could ask any question and he seemed very knowledgable of the region. The Central Otago region is a specialist Pinot Noir producer. Almost 80% of the grapes grown there are Pinot Noir. Paul told us that Pinot noir grapes like hot days and cold nights which is the exact climate of this region. I tried two Pinot Noir vines and didn't really like them. I am not a red drinker and even the lightest Pinot's are too harsh for my tastes. I did very much like the Rieslings that I tried. I realized that I like sweeter wines but also not mind the more dry ones. Dan by far favors dry wines. He also enjoyed many of the Pinot Noir's he tried.
The first vineyard we tasted at was Peregrine named after the American Falcon. This vineyard was very modern and had a curved shaped roof to mimic a wing of a Peregrine Falcon. They had an amazing Riesling and I hope we can find it in the states. We left this vineyard for a drive up to Bannockburn area. Here we visited Carrick. A small vineyard that also runs a restaurant. We had a nice lunch here after our tastings. Again I like their Riessling but unfortunately they do not currently have a distributor in the US. So for now it is just a very nice wine to remember if we come back or happen to go to Australia. The lunch was very good. It was a platter that had not much Jeni favorable items. It was a small assortment of delicacies served with bread. I stuck to easy bread items eating some venison sausage (my first try at venison) and I liked it very much. I also ate a lot of Brie and ate a small piece of Salmon. Dan mentioned that I would like the hummus and so I ate a few pieces of hummus bread. Dan of course didn't have much of a problem eating. He even tried a mussel that was still in the shell. Something I would not do. He told me after that he was worried but was happy to see me try a few new things.
After lunch we headed even farther into the valley where the rain fall is small and the heat is great. We stopped at Aurum (gold in Latin) and enjoyed some very good wine. This vineyard was the smallest we visited and was just run by a family. It seems like they are the most boutique because they have nearly no distribution and only really being a locally drank wine. We bought a bottle of their Riessling to enjoy that night. I did happen to try their Pinot Noir Reserve (their most costly bottle) and didn't hate it but probably wouldn't enjoy it more than a few sips. Dan was satisfied with their Pinot Noir better than the reserve but the reserve is a lighter more easier Pinot Noir and Dan likes a full flavored wine. He tells me that their Pinot Noir was the best of the day. If I remember correctly they have won some a awards for their Pinot Noir wines so Dan is not the only one who thinks that.
We stopped for a bit in Historic Cromwell and enjoyed seeing the old buildings that were moved from the old main street to the new one once the Lake Dunsten was made from a hydroelectric dam being installed downstream. The town was a mining town and has grown to a decent size over the last 140 years. It remains largely a vineyard town as it is surrounded by grape vines and few other fruit orchards. Once we were done there we made our way back towards Queenstown. We first stopped at an overlook over the Karawau River. This river has category 3 rapids where we were standing but farther up stream there are some category 5 rapids. Paul told us they do rafting and river surfing on this part of the river. So I'm thinking if my Mom ever makes it here she needs to raft this river. She quite enjoyed her time in Montana and so this river looks like it could be fun. As we continued to make our way to the final vineyard we stopped along the road and watched a bungy jumper jump off a bridge. The AJ Hackett Bungy here was the first commercial bungy in the world. They jump off the old suspension bridge on that section of highway 6. Just a short walk over to the see down the Karawau River again. This spot was a filming location for the Lord of the Rings. It is a scene near the end of the first movie as they are boating down a river through two large statues. Dan and I will have to watch the movie now and see the scene.
Finally we got to the Chard Farm vineyard. This was the biggest vineyard by far. As with Peregrine they have a US distributor. So we will have to search when we get home. Not many of there wines stood out to me all that much but by the end of a long tasting day they seemed to all blend together. Dan really like the second Pinot Noir he tried. I am convinced that Dan is very fond of red. The vineyard employee was quite fun to talk to as we both share a similar eating habit. After this vineyard it was time to head back to Queenstown. We made a quick drive through Arrowtown but mainly just drove straight back. We had a good time overall though ready for dinner to help digest all the tasting we did. We had an early dinner and then waited for sunset in our room. This seemed to never come and finally about 9:45 it was almost dark. Dan and I took a walk and took some night pictures. Though we realized that these photos would not be a good as the Auckland ones and so we quickly returned to our room and crashed for the night.
29/11/2010 Milford Sound Journey
Today we awoke really early 5:30 to be exact. One benefit was seeing the sun rise over the mountains. We caught some good shots of the sunrise over the mountains as our breakfast in bed arrived. A simple breakfast, fruit, toast, croissants and OJ. It worked well though as we were not sure where we could get breakfast so early and still be able to catch our early bus pick up at 7:05 am.
We got on the bus a few minutes early and began our trip to Milford Sound. The bus driver was very knowledgable about the region and gave us an almost nonstop commentary on our 4 hour trip from Queenstown to Milford Sound. He told us all about the farmland along the way and also about all of the mountains and lakes as we passed by.
There were some interesting stories about the beginnings of deer farming in the region. Deer were introduced to the country for game hunting purposes, but without any natural predators, they soon grew to become an invasive species and were causing havoc on the mountainsides eating up all of the vegetation and thereby causing erosion of the land due to mudslides etc. They were deemed a pest by the government and hunters were sent into the mountains to kill the deer. At some point they realized that venison was tasty to some and started to bring the deer carcasses back. Since they were in the mountains, and travelled by helicopter mainly, some hunters would "ride the hook" when the chopper couldn't land. This meant that the hunter would attach the deer to a rope hanging from the chopper and then ride the deer down the mountain, hanging by a rope. Later, once they had reduced their numbers greatly, and also realized that there were easier ways to obtain venison, they began to start deer farms instead.
We stopped after two hours for a 30 min bathroom and coffee break in Te Anau. Dan and I mostly took this time to stretch our legs. We took a short walk at which point I started to get nervous so we turned back. Dan made fun of me for thinking we would be left behind when we still had 15 mins left. I guess I just didn't want to be out of site of the bus. We got back on the road and Dan and I made it back on the bus. We had a few photo stops along the way, to grab a few scenic photos. The first stop was of a river valley. I can't remember the name but it had a great mountain backdrop. We stopped at Mirror Lakes which with the clouds didn't lend it self to too much mirroring. The next stop was Monkey Creek which is fresh mountain water. Both Dan and I took a taste. It was crisp and clear. The last stop was The Chasms. It is a river and waterfall that had carved out art pieces in the rocks. It was a really cool area and Dan and I got some great photos.
Finally after 5 hours in the coach we made it to Milford Sound. Dan and I applied our sunscreen and our bug spray. We got onto the boat which was a huge boat with 2 closed decks and a top viewing deck. We got upstairs and ate some overpriced deli sandwiches and chips. They served a buffet on board but it was too expensive and we wanted to enjoy the viewing deck. In fact we spent nearly the entire cruise up top.
The cruise itself was rather disappointing. The weather was overcast but not raining. Now while rain is annoying, here it is good. For one the clouds blocked many of the peaks and with no rain there were not as many waterfalls. Since the mountains are very rocky the water doesn't stay up top too long and with in mins of rain waterfalls start to form. Other than that the scenery was very cool. It was fun to see the seals hanging out on a rocky beach. Coming up to the Tasman Sea (Pacific Ocean) was really neat. It was cool to see that endless water and the horizon. We didn't go too far out to the ocean and turned around. In front of us was a huge mountain wall. This mountain wall is thought to have keep Milford Sound secret during early exploration. Truly from the ocean it looks like it is just a bay. Once you get closer do you realize it is a sound. On the return trip we came ip really close to one of the two permanent waterfalls. We got all wet from Sterling Falls and it was fun to be really close. I wasn't sure if the large boat could get that close but boy we did. We made our way back through the mountain walled sound and landed a little bit less than 2 hours later.
We boarded the bus and headed back for the 4.5 hour drive back. After all the driving Milford Sound didn't seem quite worth the time. I am just hoping the pictures look good. We got dropped off in downtown Queenstown and we made our way to dinner. After that we picked up some chocolate and drank our complimentary bottle of champaign. Then it was off to bed.
We got on the bus a few minutes early and began our trip to Milford Sound. The bus driver was very knowledgable about the region and gave us an almost nonstop commentary on our 4 hour trip from Queenstown to Milford Sound. He told us all about the farmland along the way and also about all of the mountains and lakes as we passed by.
There were some interesting stories about the beginnings of deer farming in the region. Deer were introduced to the country for game hunting purposes, but without any natural predators, they soon grew to become an invasive species and were causing havoc on the mountainsides eating up all of the vegetation and thereby causing erosion of the land due to mudslides etc. They were deemed a pest by the government and hunters were sent into the mountains to kill the deer. At some point they realized that venison was tasty to some and started to bring the deer carcasses back. Since they were in the mountains, and travelled by helicopter mainly, some hunters would "ride the hook" when the chopper couldn't land. This meant that the hunter would attach the deer to a rope hanging from the chopper and then ride the deer down the mountain, hanging by a rope. Later, once they had reduced their numbers greatly, and also realized that there were easier ways to obtain venison, they began to start deer farms instead.
We stopped after two hours for a 30 min bathroom and coffee break in Te Anau. Dan and I mostly took this time to stretch our legs. We took a short walk at which point I started to get nervous so we turned back. Dan made fun of me for thinking we would be left behind when we still had 15 mins left. I guess I just didn't want to be out of site of the bus. We got back on the road and Dan and I made it back on the bus. We had a few photo stops along the way, to grab a few scenic photos. The first stop was of a river valley. I can't remember the name but it had a great mountain backdrop. We stopped at Mirror Lakes which with the clouds didn't lend it self to too much mirroring. The next stop was Monkey Creek which is fresh mountain water. Both Dan and I took a taste. It was crisp and clear. The last stop was The Chasms. It is a river and waterfall that had carved out art pieces in the rocks. It was a really cool area and Dan and I got some great photos.
Finally after 5 hours in the coach we made it to Milford Sound. Dan and I applied our sunscreen and our bug spray. We got onto the boat which was a huge boat with 2 closed decks and a top viewing deck. We got upstairs and ate some overpriced deli sandwiches and chips. They served a buffet on board but it was too expensive and we wanted to enjoy the viewing deck. In fact we spent nearly the entire cruise up top.
The cruise itself was rather disappointing. The weather was overcast but not raining. Now while rain is annoying, here it is good. For one the clouds blocked many of the peaks and with no rain there were not as many waterfalls. Since the mountains are very rocky the water doesn't stay up top too long and with in mins of rain waterfalls start to form. Other than that the scenery was very cool. It was fun to see the seals hanging out on a rocky beach. Coming up to the Tasman Sea (Pacific Ocean) was really neat. It was cool to see that endless water and the horizon. We didn't go too far out to the ocean and turned around. In front of us was a huge mountain wall. This mountain wall is thought to have keep Milford Sound secret during early exploration. Truly from the ocean it looks like it is just a bay. Once you get closer do you realize it is a sound. On the return trip we came ip really close to one of the two permanent waterfalls. We got all wet from Sterling Falls and it was fun to be really close. I wasn't sure if the large boat could get that close but boy we did. We made our way back through the mountain walled sound and landed a little bit less than 2 hours later.
We boarded the bus and headed back for the 4.5 hour drive back. After all the driving Milford Sound didn't seem quite worth the time. I am just hoping the pictures look good. We got dropped off in downtown Queenstown and we made our way to dinner. After that we picked up some chocolate and drank our complimentary bottle of champaign. Then it was off to bed.
Monday, November 29, 2010
28/11/2010 Queenstown Day 2
Today we didn't have anything planned for the morning and so we were quite lazy. We slept in late and relaxed in the morning. I finally shoved Lazy Dan out of bed at 9:17 am. We grabbed a quick breakfast at the hotel restaurant and just relaxed a bit. After the traveling we have done it's been nice to take it easy. Plus our room is super nice and so I don't mind spending some time in it.
We made our way to a pharmacy to restock sunscreen and get some bug repellant. There are a quick a bit of Mosquitos and Dan and I are doing a lot of water activities and want to be protected. We got back to the hotel and got prepared for our kayak adventure and hike.
We met our guide Sam in the lobby of the hotel just before 1pm and by the looks of him we knew this wasn't the touristy, highly commercialized activity. As we went along the twisting road much faster than Dan or I would drive we realized he was a local and local to the extreme. In fact we found out later that he grew up in Glenorcy (little town of 400 near our kayaking spot) and was an a true explorer. He told us of stories of climbing the mountains, working odd jobs that had him hang in from a helicopter, of heli skiing on the water (like water skiing only with a helicopter). A true native and the owner of Rippled Earth his company for three years. You could tell he was passionate about this company and region and Dan and I found it a pleasure to experience it.
So about the journey. We made a couple of stops prior to our arrival. We learned about 12 Mile Delta which saw a small town pop up once gold was discovered in the lake. It was aptly named because it was 12 miles from Queenstown and was the site of the 12 Mile Rush. I can't remember the exact year but it was somewhere in the 1860's. We continued our drive and came upon a beautiful overlook. This time we got out and we able to snap some photos. Sam explained to us the three islands in front of us. We had the small Tree Island which had no trees, was Pig Island which had no Pigs and Pigeon Island with no pigeons. Sam told us that when the explorers arrived to the area ot is thought that they would have found pigeons there but the other two it is unknown the true origin of their names. Tree Island was a burial and cremation site for the Maori and so that could be how the trees were eliminated.
We got to our kayaks on a beach and got dressed. Sam supplied us with splash skirts (they stretched around the kayak opening so our legs could be covered) and life vests. We also were supplied a dry bag for our camera and other water sensitive items. Dan and I were put in a two person kayak with me in front and Dan in back. I gave Dan the difficult job of steering the kayak. He did a good job overall and way better than I could have done. We quickly made our way across the lake to Pigeon Island. The water was so smooth that the kayak just glided across the water. Upon landing on Pigeon Island we climbed out of our kayak. Sam went for a quick swim and pulled up a half broken glass bottle. This little act really indicated his dedication to the preservation of his area.
We made our way to a pharmacy to restock sunscreen and get some bug repellant. There are a quick a bit of Mosquitos and Dan and I are doing a lot of water activities and want to be protected. We got back to the hotel and got prepared for our kayak adventure and hike.
We met our guide Sam in the lobby of the hotel just before 1pm and by the looks of him we knew this wasn't the touristy, highly commercialized activity. As we went along the twisting road much faster than Dan or I would drive we realized he was a local and local to the extreme. In fact we found out later that he grew up in Glenorcy (little town of 400 near our kayaking spot) and was an a true explorer. He told us of stories of climbing the mountains, working odd jobs that had him hang in from a helicopter, of heli skiing on the water (like water skiing only with a helicopter). A true native and the owner of Rippled Earth his company for three years. You could tell he was passionate about this company and region and Dan and I found it a pleasure to experience it.
So about the journey. We made a couple of stops prior to our arrival. We learned about 12 Mile Delta which saw a small town pop up once gold was discovered in the lake. It was aptly named because it was 12 miles from Queenstown and was the site of the 12 Mile Rush. I can't remember the exact year but it was somewhere in the 1860's. We continued our drive and came upon a beautiful overlook. This time we got out and we able to snap some photos. Sam explained to us the three islands in front of us. We had the small Tree Island which had no trees, was Pig Island which had no Pigs and Pigeon Island with no pigeons. Sam told us that when the explorers arrived to the area ot is thought that they would have found pigeons there but the other two it is unknown the true origin of their names. Tree Island was a burial and cremation site for the Maori and so that could be how the trees were eliminated.
We got to our kayaks on a beach and got dressed. Sam supplied us with splash skirts (they stretched around the kayak opening so our legs could be covered) and life vests. We also were supplied a dry bag for our camera and other water sensitive items. Dan and I were put in a two person kayak with me in front and Dan in back. I gave Dan the difficult job of steering the kayak. He did a good job overall and way better than I could have done. We quickly made our way across the lake to Pigeon Island. The water was so smooth that the kayak just glided across the water. Upon landing on Pigeon Island we climbed out of our kayak. Sam went for a quick swim and pulled up a half broken glass bottle. This little act really indicated his dedication to the preservation of his area.
Note from dan: hello. I hope you are enjoying jeni's novel. That is all for now, my fingers are tired from all this typing.
So I am back now. :)
We spent a little time relaxing on the beach with a hot orange drink and some sweet bread. It was a very nice snack and I really loved the drink. I was a little sad to hear it wasn't a tea but then again I probably wouldn't have liked it if it was. Sam said it was a just flavored sugar and water, so a hot version of kool-aid. After our break we headed into the island to see some wildlife and plant life. We learned a lot about the region and it was exciting to experience it. We came out of the grassy walkway to the other side which had a hut. This hut is for people to stay on the island and is a simple hut but people make use of it. In fact when we arrived there was a guy sitting on the couch escaping the sun and heat. It was a very neat hut but not quite the accommodation I am used too. Perhaps a little too roughing it for me. We made our way back to our kayaks to begin the journey back. This was quite a feat as the winds were quite strong. The lake had some pretty large waves and it took a lot of effort to make it back. When we finally did Dan and I were both pretty tired but greatly enjoyed the trip. We packed away the kayaks and prepared to return home. Shortly after getting into the van Sam asked if we liked waterfalls. I said yes because I do but I assumed he meant we could stop on the road and look at one. What he meant was would we like to hike and actually stand underneath it. The waterfall is relatively secluded from the road but relatively accessible if you know where you are going. We climbed over rocks and dodged trees and eventually we arrived at the falls. It was an amazing experience only a few people have seen. Sam said that not many people know it is there and it is relatively kept secret. So no telling anyone, all of you out there. ;)
We got back home just a little after 5:30 and went in search of pizza. It took us quite awhile but when we finally did it was well worth it. The pizza was delicious as was the garlic bread that we started with. After dinner we decided sonic it was summer we should get some ice cream. Patagonia Chocolates was recommended by Frommers and I have to say they deserve it. I really liked my Vanilla and Cookies and Dan enjoyed his Fig and Pistachio. I am hoping I can make it back so I can try some of their other chocolate delicacies. We called it an early night because of our long day tomorrow. We have a coach bus picking us up at 7:00 for a 13 hour trip and cruise in Milford Sound.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
27/11/2010 arrival in Queenstown
We woke up in the morning and got ready to depart Franz Josef. We went to the hotel restaurant for breakfast again and then hopped over to the West Coast Wildlife Centre to use there WiFi before we left.
Once that was all done we got into the car and made the long trip to Queenstown. The maps said it was about 5.5 hours of a drive and we needed to return the rental car by 5pm. So we left ourselves 8 hours. The first leg of the trip was quite difficult. The day before it took us less than 5 mins by helicopter to get to Fox Glacier however it was 30 or so mins by car. They were some hairpin turns and steep inclines into turns. Once we got out of the mountain the drive wasn't so bad. We were on the very west coast which is pretty flat and has quite a few straight aways. Our first stop was Bruce Bay a nice coast line what the Brits we met told us about. The waves were huge and I took my chance to get my feet wet in the Pacific Ocean. We hung out on the beach for a little while to take some photos but also to take in the ocean view. We got back into the car and I decided i would drive for awhile. We got to a bathroom break which happened to be on the coast again. We got out and took a bunch of photos. This stop had an outlook that we climbed. We also walk out onto the beach to take in the ocean again. These were our only two chances to see the ocean so far. I believe our Milford Sound cruise is the only other chance. We carried on in not too long. We wanted to make our stops short to not waste much time. We started back into the mountains and I continued to drive. One thing that I noticed between New Zealand highways in the mountains is that it is slower and more natural. In Colorado the seem to cut huge paths in order to keep the speed up. There was also no tunnels. One spot on the road we came up to a bridge with people on it. I didn't know why they were standing on a single lane bridge but I soon found out. The river rapids below were amazing so Dan and I parked and took some photos. We also decided it was a good time to switch drivers. Dan began driving and it wasn't long before we stopped again. We drove up to a huge mountain lake. Lake Wanaka looked absolutely stunning with the mountains behind it. Dan was absolutely amazed and he decided it was necessary to stop. I got the camera fir the next lake and snapped some good photos from the car. All in all these mountain lakes are gorgeous surrounded by peaks covered with trees and/or snow. We came out of the mountains and into a valley filled with vineyards. The valley is called Central Otago and we think is the region we will be going on our vine tour. Now the trick will be to document the vineyards and see if we can find them in the US. We are not planning to bring or ship any wine on the plane so we will have to hope they carry some wines at home. Pretty soon we got into Queenstown and made our way to the hotel.
The hotel is located a short walk back from the water but with great views. We got the chance to upgrade our room and we got on on the top floor. It has a nice view of the bay and mountains. With the balcony outside it allows us to relax and take in the mountain region. We will be staying here for 4 nights and so the nicer room is worth the extra cost.
We returned the rental car and decided it was time for dinner. We ate pretty early and had a fun meal. The restaurant gave us free champaign and so we decided to go with it and tried some of their cocktails as well. I ended up a little overindulged and so Dan finished my last drink. By 6:30 I was ready for bed though for some reason I felt it was time to give Dan a pedicure. The concentration helped to ease my drunken stupor plus Dan's toes look absolutely splendid. We decided to head out to take some photos of sunset. We have some amazing photos compliments of Dan's photography skills. This new camera is awesome in aiding our picture taking skills. We can play with the light and create silhouettes.
For the remainder of the night we just used the Internet in the lobby and went to sleep.
Once that was all done we got into the car and made the long trip to Queenstown. The maps said it was about 5.5 hours of a drive and we needed to return the rental car by 5pm. So we left ourselves 8 hours. The first leg of the trip was quite difficult. The day before it took us less than 5 mins by helicopter to get to Fox Glacier however it was 30 or so mins by car. They were some hairpin turns and steep inclines into turns. Once we got out of the mountain the drive wasn't so bad. We were on the very west coast which is pretty flat and has quite a few straight aways. Our first stop was Bruce Bay a nice coast line what the Brits we met told us about. The waves were huge and I took my chance to get my feet wet in the Pacific Ocean. We hung out on the beach for a little while to take some photos but also to take in the ocean view. We got back into the car and I decided i would drive for awhile. We got to a bathroom break which happened to be on the coast again. We got out and took a bunch of photos. This stop had an outlook that we climbed. We also walk out onto the beach to take in the ocean again. These were our only two chances to see the ocean so far. I believe our Milford Sound cruise is the only other chance. We carried on in not too long. We wanted to make our stops short to not waste much time. We started back into the mountains and I continued to drive. One thing that I noticed between New Zealand highways in the mountains is that it is slower and more natural. In Colorado the seem to cut huge paths in order to keep the speed up. There was also no tunnels. One spot on the road we came up to a bridge with people on it. I didn't know why they were standing on a single lane bridge but I soon found out. The river rapids below were amazing so Dan and I parked and took some photos. We also decided it was a good time to switch drivers. Dan began driving and it wasn't long before we stopped again. We drove up to a huge mountain lake. Lake Wanaka looked absolutely stunning with the mountains behind it. Dan was absolutely amazed and he decided it was necessary to stop. I got the camera fir the next lake and snapped some good photos from the car. All in all these mountain lakes are gorgeous surrounded by peaks covered with trees and/or snow. We came out of the mountains and into a valley filled with vineyards. The valley is called Central Otago and we think is the region we will be going on our vine tour. Now the trick will be to document the vineyards and see if we can find them in the US. We are not planning to bring or ship any wine on the plane so we will have to hope they carry some wines at home. Pretty soon we got into Queenstown and made our way to the hotel.
The hotel is located a short walk back from the water but with great views. We got the chance to upgrade our room and we got on on the top floor. It has a nice view of the bay and mountains. With the balcony outside it allows us to relax and take in the mountain region. We will be staying here for 4 nights and so the nicer room is worth the extra cost.
We returned the rental car and decided it was time for dinner. We ate pretty early and had a fun meal. The restaurant gave us free champaign and so we decided to go with it and tried some of their cocktails as well. I ended up a little overindulged and so Dan finished my last drink. By 6:30 I was ready for bed though for some reason I felt it was time to give Dan a pedicure. The concentration helped to ease my drunken stupor plus Dan's toes look absolutely splendid. We decided to head out to take some photos of sunset. We have some amazing photos compliments of Dan's photography skills. This new camera is awesome in aiding our picture taking skills. We can play with the light and create silhouettes.
For the remainder of the night we just used the Internet in the lobby and went to sleep.
Little note:
Glacier facts
The Franz Josef glacier is located only 200m above sea level making it one of the lowest glacier in the world. It is also located in a rain forest, there are only 3 in the world (Franz Josef, Fox Glacier and one in South America). Therefore it rains or snows nearly everyday (we saw no rain and in fact it has been quite dry and so the river beds are dry. The town records about 5 meters of rain a year for a comparison London gets about .75 meters a year. It is also the steepest slope that operates hikes. The path that the guides take on the glacier changes everyday and sometimes during the day. We had to take a different path at one spot even though we could see where they had originally planned. I asked if we cause any environmental harm by walking on the glacier. The guide says that scientists have predicted that we are 1% of the total melt daily so not a huge impact. They say that rain and sun are the key forces causing melting. The glacier in recent years is retreating however up until 5 years ago it was growing. The experts notice changes everyday. Glaciers are always moving and from our highest spot the snow would take about 6 years to reach the terminal head. All in all a very cool thing to experience.
The Franz Josef glacier is located only 200m above sea level making it one of the lowest glacier in the world. It is also located in a rain forest, there are only 3 in the world (Franz Josef, Fox Glacier and one in South America). Therefore it rains or snows nearly everyday (we saw no rain and in fact it has been quite dry and so the river beds are dry. The town records about 5 meters of rain a year for a comparison London gets about .75 meters a year. It is also the steepest slope that operates hikes. The path that the guides take on the glacier changes everyday and sometimes during the day. We had to take a different path at one spot even though we could see where they had originally planned. I asked if we cause any environmental harm by walking on the glacier. The guide says that scientists have predicted that we are 1% of the total melt daily so not a huge impact. They say that rain and sun are the key forces causing melting. The glacier in recent years is retreating however up until 5 years ago it was growing. The experts notice changes everyday. Glaciers are always moving and from our highest spot the snow would take about 6 years to reach the terminal head. All in all a very cool thing to experience.
26/11/2010 Franz Josef
Day 2 in Franz Josef and we needed to get prepared for the glacier. It was a nice looking day and after breakfast (free at the hotel restaurant) we came back and got ready. Dan and I layered up, put in our contacts and slathered on the sunscreen. We got to the glacier guides hut a little early and so we spent some time walking (I claim it was a warm-up, hehe) and headed back for our 8:45 check- in. We got our gear which consisted of over-trousers (I got these but dan did no t), socks and boots, crampons (spikes for your boots to grip the ice) and raincoats. I will just say right now that Dan and I thought it would be colder but...we were way too layered. It was a hot day and even being on ice it wasn't much colder. So anyway we have our gear and get loaded onto a bus. This bus takes us to the car park near the glacier. Near only means close but not really that close. The guides told us that we needed to walk 1 km through the rain forest to get to the river bed and another 2.5 km to get to the terminal head or the front edge of the glacier. We stopped in the valley and split into 3 groups depending on athletic ability and how fast we could walk. Dan and I volunteered to go into group 1 and we totally made the right choice (will explain later). After 40 mins or so of hiking in the river bed and over rocks we made it to the terminal head. This was a very steep hill and required us to make a running head start and run as hard as we could to make it up. If you didn't make you had to go down the slide and try again. Dan and I made it up on the first try. Told you we made the right choice. Now I am just pulling your leg because but Dan and I do think a slide would be nice to get down. We actually had a 20min or so hike up zigzagging up the hill. Once at the top we could finally see ice. We had seen the glacier from the river bed but here it was right in front of us. We had to stop for a few mins to put on our crampons and get prepared for the ice. Here I bandaged my right ankle to prevent and further blisters. The boots they gave us don't fit very well and so I had a blister already forming. Once that was all done we had a short explanation of what to expect when we were on the ice. Then we got to our first steps. The guide needed to go a short way ahead to make sure that the path was safe and to ice pick a cleaner path. The company has crews on the ice early I the morning mapping out a path but even in the short amount of time the guides still need to carve. We made our first assent and the worst thing that could happen happened. It's not the worst i guess but still sad. Our camera ran out of batteries. Noooooooo. So we had to use the small point and shoot and out flip cam. It turned out okay and we were probably able to enjoy it more but still who knows how the pictures will turn out. We had the most amazing hike on the glacier. We winded up the path through crevices and tunnels and went much higher than either of the other two groups. We were that much faster than they. We we got back to the valley we only had the short path back and we were finished with our hike. It was about 4.5 to 5 hours in duration and was very exhausting.
Our guide told us we should wait until later to go to the hot pools and so we took his advice and waited. We instead did something Dan and I discussed on the glacier. Since we didn't have the nice camera available and the views from the glacier were nice but not quite spectacular we made the spontaneous decision to see the glaciers from above. We arranged for a helicopter tour of both glaciers. So we rushed back to the hotel and ate the left over pizza (I knew it would come in handy) and got the batteries for the camera. We made it back to the helicopter office within 45 mins for our 3pm flight. This was to be Dan and my first helicopter ride and we were both pretty excited. It is a wonderful experience and the scenery was totally beautiful. I assure you we got some amazing pictures. Especially when we made a snow landing near the top of the Fox Glacier. In my opinion it was worth every penny and I am so glad we did it. It truly made the glacier experience great and combined with the hike I feel Franz Josef was the funnest overall experience plus it was super adventurous.
We relaxed after our heli tour and made it out to dinner. We went to the restaurant that was not open the night before. To be honest I wouldn't have minded it being closed. I totally preferred the other restaurant. At 8 or so we made it to the Glacier Hot Pools. Dan and I were quite intrigued by these pools. They were not natural hot pools like we thought but they were really neat. There were three pools at three temperatures. Staring at 36 degrees Celsius and increasing to 38 and 40 (~ 104 degrees Fahrenheit) degrees. It was fun to transition to hotter waters. After an hour or so it was time to get out. I was pretty steamy but I really think it helped my muscles. Neither Dan nor I are horribly sore. My calves are just a little sore but I blame that on my posture after my blister developed. Sleepy time again.
Our guide told us we should wait until later to go to the hot pools and so we took his advice and waited. We instead did something Dan and I discussed on the glacier. Since we didn't have the nice camera available and the views from the glacier were nice but not quite spectacular we made the spontaneous decision to see the glaciers from above. We arranged for a helicopter tour of both glaciers. So we rushed back to the hotel and ate the left over pizza (I knew it would come in handy) and got the batteries for the camera. We made it back to the helicopter office within 45 mins for our 3pm flight. This was to be Dan and my first helicopter ride and we were both pretty excited. It is a wonderful experience and the scenery was totally beautiful. I assure you we got some amazing pictures. Especially when we made a snow landing near the top of the Fox Glacier. In my opinion it was worth every penny and I am so glad we did it. It truly made the glacier experience great and combined with the hike I feel Franz Josef was the funnest overall experience plus it was super adventurous.
We relaxed after our heli tour and made it out to dinner. We went to the restaurant that was not open the night before. To be honest I wouldn't have minded it being closed. I totally preferred the other restaurant. At 8 or so we made it to the Glacier Hot Pools. Dan and I were quite intrigued by these pools. They were not natural hot pools like we thought but they were really neat. There were three pools at three temperatures. Staring at 36 degrees Celsius and increasing to 38 and 40 (~ 104 degrees Fahrenheit) degrees. It was fun to transition to hotter waters. After an hour or so it was time to get out. I was pretty steamy but I really think it helped my muscles. Neither Dan nor I are horribly sore. My calves are just a little sore but I blame that on my posture after my blister developed. Sleepy time again.
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