Along with the luge rides, we also tried jetboating in honor of Karla...invented by a kiwi back in 1957, the inboard engine sucks water into a tube in the bottom of the boat, and spits it out a nozzle from the stern..aside from the techie stuff...we were going 50mph with about 12 others down the Shotover river for 30 min..for kicks, our too young driver spins 360 degree turns for the thrill of it, along with this, we went hurling so close to the gorge's edges that we all needed to duck thinking we were going to hit, crazy fun, but ..I have to say, still at the end of the day, it was nothing compared to riding with Karla in the clear blue lakes of California. In a nutshell, Queenstown...our friends would love it here, it's a must see. Whatever you want to do, it can be done...fly- ok, swim with dolphins- no worries...climb, trek, raft, roll down a hill in a plastic ball...you name it, the kiwi's won't turn you away...but beware, you aren't allowed to sue for damages in NZ...however, on the flipside, you will be fixed back up and sent on your merry way...gotta love the Kiwi spirit!
11/18 Franz Josef Glacier (6 hours north of Queenstown)
We've landed in Austria, I think...it's beautiful but pouring rain..we are not having much luck with the weather, after checking in to our cozy backpackers were the big beautiful fireplace was used for decoration (the little gas heater sat in front of it..?) we prepped ourselves for a rugged hike through the glaciers the next morning...only problem, the rain never stopped...in hesitation, we still attempted to venture out the next day even though the rain poured on...we were given a bit of encouragement...we were told that our outfit hasn't been stopped by a little rain in 9 months! I do end up chickening out after being drenched just from walking the 20 steps to the door of the outfit but Tony proceeds because he thinks it's so cool to be able to carry ice picks and wear claws...the company also outfits him in full goretex, so it's an offer he couldn't pass up. He can tell the rest of the tale at the bottom of this page.
11/20 Nelson (5 hours west and north of Franz Josef)
Have tried our best to make the most of NZ even though the weather hasn't been cooperating. We arrived to Nelson and have the best decadent dinner of pototoes au gratin and a cheese board to die for, the following day was spent with a very corny and lovable guide taking us through the wine region of Marlborough..it was a gourmet fest for a couple of wet and cloudy days..
11/22 Wellington (North Island, Southern Tip) No Turkey Thanksgiving...
Our trip through the South Island was fast, wet, but memorable, we vowed to come back to enjoy it on a sunnier day. Now, we are in Wellington where we got to see one of our favorite museums, Te Papa, there was a little of everything here and it was a great modern museum, cool archectiture and looks of great exhibits...they were even equipped with a dragon boat video game!
11/24 The Coromandels (2 hours east of Auckland)
Another crazy long drive of 9 hours brought us back to Auckland where we spent the evening with Marijke's parents, Helen and Kess. We headed off the "hamptons" of NZ, here we headed to Hot Water beach... there is actually hot water under the beach and people bring their big shovels to come dig themselves a little spa to soak in! We also headed to Cathedral cove for a nice leisurely hike down to some spectacular views of the coast. Although we are not having the best weather, the scenery of NZ does not disappoint. Our weekend was spent spent driving up and down the coast stopping for tea and coffees, and taking in the magnificent views of NZ. Our grand finale was Mt Maunganui which juts out into the azure waters of the bay.
11/27 Pahia (5 hours north of Auckland)
We were treated to a lovely NZ dinner by Kess and Helen complete with lamb chops and green lipped mussels before heading North to see the beaches and coastline. Up North, we have been greeted with more rain...I think the count is 15 rainy days, 3 decent days...argh! Yet, still, we are making the most of things, Tony decides to pick up a couple of hitchhikers from the Czech Republic because he felt sorry for them, the four of us make it up to the top of the island, Cape Reinga- we are the only ones there and are able to take lots of cool pics of the lighthouse and oceans. This hitchhiking thing? Very common in NZ, no worries, mate.
11/19/01 (me, Tony)
Okay, I'm making a brief writing appearance on this journal to give you a couple of highlights (or key moments as I call them) on New Zealand.
- Landscape - definitely a beautiful country full of rolling hills and plenty of sheep/lamb.
- Weather - it's been raining about 80% of the time since we have been here.
- Glaciers - we booked an all day trip to hike onto the Franz Joseph Glacier. Woke up and it was pouring rain. Lynora backed out, and I said 'what the hell, I'll go'. The guide gives us the old spiel about the dangers of hiking due to the weather. We then bus to the entrance of the rainforest parking lot. I get out, and what do I see but a sign across a roped off entrance that says "danger - closed". Hiked for about 1 hour over rocks and creeks before we got we got to the base of a hill where a small waterfall was coming down (actually it was raining so hard, there were waterfalls coming off all over the hills). The guide pointed at one of the falls, and said that 'if your feet ain't wet yet, they're gonna get wet'. The waterfall was actually a flooded trail that we need to hike up. We hiked through a pretty thick forest area, across waterfalls, and got to the base of the glacier... to only be turned back because the river was too high. It was raining so hard by then, there were literally chunks of ice floating down the river.