Fast Forward

It's been a hectic two weeks since last making contact. Trains, planes, automobiles, ferries and helicopters to name a few. After crossing the Cook Strait by ferry to the southern island we rented our car in Picton and headed west to Nelson to meet up with Sue and Eric to do our 10 day circumnavigation of the island. It was a busy time as I ceded driving responsibilities to Eric while I sat back to enjoy the fabulous scenery. On our first day we decided to do a three hour speed boat tour of the Abel Tasman National Park near Nelson. TIme for secluded beach stops got me thinking that this location would be a great one for a SUrvivor series.. If hiking and camping is your thing, then this region is well worth looking into. The Kiwis take pride in their National Parks and public access to all is definitely welcomed. The coast line and beaches are fabulous without the crowds you would expect to see on a beach holiday. Fortunately the Americans have not taken over and it is basically the Aussies and Kiwis who are on holiday. The Chinese and Japanese bus loads are not here either but they are on the horizon as we will find out later. New Zealand's wines are renowned worldwide and can be evidenced by 100's of vineyards and 1000's of acres of vines. Responsible forestry is apparent in the high mountain passes with wine harvesting on the low valley hillside slopes. Great wines and spectacular views. What more could one ask for? I know the Americans are here but at least they seem to have gone into hiding, keeping a low profile.

Everyday we would drive between 5 and 6 hours with stops along the way for photo shoots, coffee and of course a pastry. The Franz Josef GLacier was a primary focus and it was Eric who initiated a helicopter tour of the glacier along with a trip to the Fox Glacier and a view of Mount Cook thrown in for good measure. We would never had initiated this on our own, but thanks to Eric's persuasiveness, it was an experience to remember. I never thought I would fly into and land on a glacier but alas another checkmark was added to the list.

Queenstown stands alone at the apex of New Zealand tourism. Any imaginable activity from bungee jumping (maybe next time) to cycling can be found. Jennifer and I opted for the afternoon lake cruise on the old steamer to a small animal farm, followed with afternoon tea and scones. Eric and Sue decided to do the jetboat tour and shopping and we all decided to meet up for happy hour and dinner. The place is flooded with students on visas working in all the cafés, bars and restaurants. Lots of French, Japaneese and the odd Canadian thrown in for good measure. I'm doing my best to get this blog up and online, since my laptop screen got busted (my own fault). Having no USB port to upload photos onto a mini Ipad is proving to be a problem and frustrating. At least I am managing to get some phone pics up. Better than nothing I suppose. One of our main focuses has been to get to Lake Tekapo which we will continue onto afrer two days in Queenstown. Can't wait to show those pictures to you. Nau Mai!!