Day 87, 88, 89 & 90 Wanaka, Mount Cook

Well Christmas has come and gone.  We wanted a few days of rest but we didn’t need to spend it in the campervan.  However that is pretty much what we did for three days.  Oh Oh, Oh No, and then the rains came down.  Three solid days of rain, hard rain, was very welcomed here by the locals as it had been a pretty dry spring.  The large number of people who were camping in tents were not as appreciative.  The rain was appreciated here but caused a lot of flooding in other parts of the country, especially the North Island. 

The fourth day the sun rose and we were out of here.  The destination was Mount Cook and it was a very nice drive which had us following the Clutha River for a short time on Hwy 8A before we headed North East on Hwy 8.  This took us through the Lindis Pass, over the Dunstan Range, past the Clay Cliffs and into Twizel.  Shortly after leaving Twizel we came to Lake Pukaki, turned north on Highway 80 which led us into Mount Cook.

During the drive up we commented that at times we could have been in Southern Alberta and at other times in Southern California or Montana. We just saw it all in a much smaller space.

The Drive

Lindis Pass

 

The Clay Cliffs

In order to get to the Clay Cliffs we had to detour 10 kilometers off the main highway. I am not sure what caused the formation but I would assume they were carved by water as opposed to wind.  We were able to walk into the middle of them through a narrow slot or canyon. 

It was shortly after passing Twizel and turning north that we got our first look of Mount Cook. 



Mount Cook

The white top against the background of the blue sky gave it a majestic look, very impressive.  We quickly stopped at our campsite and then headed directly to Mount Cook.  It was late in the day but we wanted to hike one of the three walks available.  We turned off at Tasman Road and headed into the Tasman Valley.  The parking lot at the end of the road was the headway for a hike into see the Tasman Glacier.  It was not that far of a hike, but as usual, it was uphill.  We lost sight of Mount Cook but it did give us a view of Tasman Glacier and surrounding area.

Tasman Glacier

Large Ice Floe campared to 20 man boat

The Way Up



The Armchair Peaks



It was quite late when we finished our little hike so we drove back to the campsite and called it a night.  Tomorrow we were going to hike a different trail that would, weather permitting, give us a different look at Mount Cook.

Day 85 & 86 Wanaka

                           MERRY CHRISTMAS
　

We would like to wish everybody a very Merry Christmas and all the best for the upcomeing year. It's a little different here as the Kiwi's don't make Xmas a big event.  You see very little decorations and even the stores don't advertise it the way we are accustomed to seeing. No Commercialism.  It is a pleasant surprise.

There was one big disappointment. Turkey, or rather lack of turkey.  They do sell turkeys here but I refused to pay $7.00 per lb.  We also didn’t have anywhere to cook it.  So no Turkey Dinner with Christmas, no dressing, no mashed potatoes, no peas, no squash, no homemade biscuits and no gravy.  I am going to whinge for a very long time.

It is however, one of the biggest travel holidays in NZ.  Everybody gets 4 days off for Xmas and they usually go somewhere.  The campsites fill up with both campervans and tents.  We have been warned not to try and travel on the 28th as most people are heading home to go to work.  It would be similar to the Thanksgiving Weekend in the US.

We have used the past two days as rest days.  We have had very little desire to get up and do anything, so we didn't.  The next few days will allow us to refill the tanks and get ready to take on the rest of New Zealand.  There is still some much we have not seen. 



The pohutukawa or New Zealand Christmas Tree





This what it looks like in full bloom

  

Day 81,82,83 & 84 Queenstown and Wanaka

Monday found us back in Queenstown at the same Holiday Park which was very convenient to downtown.  We wanted to go up on the Gondola which is located right next door to the Holiday Park.  We decided to go downtown first as it was starting to cloud over and we were concerned that we might not get the view of the area that we wanted. 

The downtown area of Queenstown is built around an inlet called Queenstown Bay which is on Lake Wakatipu.  It is filled with shops, cafes, restaurants and a couple of Casino's.  All of the cafes and restaurants have outside seating. It is quite nice and with the Kiwi's laid back attitude it is a happy place.  Of course the spectacular view of the surrounding mountains doesn’t hurt.



Queenstown

So we enjoyed the area by having a latte, listening to street entertainers and just watching the going ons.  Later in the afternoon we both went for haircuts and then decided it was too late for the gondola and we would go tomorrow.

Well you know what that means.  Yup.  It rained the next day.  Not only did it rain the next day but it also rained the day after that.  It was one of those teasing rains where it rains really hard and then the sun comes out.  Just when you think you might be able to go out and do something down it comes again. However we really can't complain as the weather has been pretty good to us the three months we have been here.

Thursday, Day 84, was sunny without a cloud in the sky. It was also the day we had to leave Queenstown as we had reservations in Wanaka. First things first, we had to go up in the gondola.  Once we reached the top we had a phenomenal view of the entire area.  Views meant for a post card.



Queenstown




Lake Wakatipu




Queenstown Bay



Road to Arrowtown and Coronet Peak



Double Peak and The Remarkables Ski area





When you got off the gondola there was a chair lift that took you further up the hill to a luge ride.  Of course, we had to try it.  The good news is we got down without hurting ourselves.  Kathy did try to pass me on the last turn and I guess it brought the competitive spirit out in me.  I  got up under her and put her into the rails.  I don't usually hear that kind of language from her.  I guess she wasn't too happy with me.

Chair Lift

The Track

We made the return trip to the bottom and after a quick grocery shop we headed back to Wanaka.  The return trip was over the same highway but we got a much nicer view as the sun was out. The climb that took us over the Crown Range allowed us to look back and marvel at the view.  The way the different greens came alive in the sunlight was just spectacular.

When we reached the top of the Crown Range we took one last look back at Queenstown and the view before heading into Wanaka.



Queenstown viewed from 23 kilometers away



We didn't stop again until we reached the campsite.  We spent the evening just enjoying the view.  It's pretty easy to see why this is one of our favorite places in New Zealand.

Day 79 & 80 Te Anau and Doubtful Sound Overnight Cruise

It's Saturday, December 18, 2010 and we said goodbye to Lake Te Anau and Te Anau.



Lake Te Anau



We are heading for Manapouri which is 20 kilometers south of Te Anau.  That is where we will start the first of three legs that will complete our overnight Doubtful Sound Cruise.  We were told by the people at the campsite to allow for 30 minutes for the drive and shortly into it we discovered why.  The scenery that we had been viewing for the last few days just picked up right where it left off.  The extra time was needed to stop and take pictures.

 

We took at little more than 30 minutes but we reached Manapouri on time so all was good.  We checked in for the first part of our trip which was a 50 minute boat ride across Lake Manapouri.  The lake is New Zealand's fifth largest and second deepest lake, it also is one of its prettiest. The 50 minute drive was quite nice but at 22 kph it drove us off the top deck and into the shelter of the main deck.  We did manage to get a few pictures.



Manapouri Harbor




Leaving the Harbor



Lake Manapouri



Lake Manapouri



White Markings is remains of a tree slide

Once we reached the end of the lake we boarded a bus that would take us to Doubtful Sound.  The 22 kilometer road was built in the 60's at a cost of 4.2 million dollars.  It is a gravel road and is maintained to allow access to the power station and to get the tourists over to Doubtful Sound.  The route we are taking is the only access to Doubtful unless you travel by sea from Invercargill. It was starting to rain which prevented any picture taking through the window however they did stop a couple of times.

In order to complete the journey to Doubtful Sound we had to cross the 621 meter high divide between Mount Wilmot and Mount Mainwaring.  It is called the Milmot Pass and it was here that we got our first look at Doubtful Sound.



Doubtful Sound as seen from Wilmot Pass

 

It was starting to become very overcast but there was still a collective wow when it came into view.  Even with the shadows it was a pretty awesome sight and the best was still to come.

Upon arriving at the docks we were quickly loaded on board our ship which was called the "Fiordland Navigator'' and shown to our cabins.  They didn't take long to get under way so we quickly stowed our stuff and headed to the viewing decks.

Fiordland Navigator

The entire two day trip it was either raining or very overcast and threatening to rain.  This gave the sound ( actually the fiord ) a ghostly, serene, magical look to it.  It was spell binding.

 

We just stood and watched almost had to remind ourselves to take pictures.  We saw Milford Sound without a cloud in the sky but I think I prefer what we witnessed today. The way the clouds were one with the mountains is something that one can only appreciate by being there.  Our pictures could not capture the beauty, we will have to rely on our memories.

 

The cruise had us going to the end of the sound with side trips into a couple of different arms. When we reached the end of the sound we ventured out into the Tasman Sea as surprisingly it was not that rough.  There was more action from the increased swells but it wasn't too bad.  This gave us a chance to get close to a seal colony which resided on a couple of islands in the Tasman Sea.

The Boss



We also saw Little Blue Penguins and Bottlenose Dolphins but they were close to shore and with the shadows I was not able to get a good picture of either of them. However we did get a few good pictures of the landscape.



Coastline of Fiordland




Tasman Sea





Heading in for the night

The Happy Travellers



The cruise was not all about scenery as we got a chance to go Kayaking or a Nature Ride in a Tender Boat.  We opted for the tender boat and opted out of the swimming when we got back from the ride.  I don't do 15 degrees Celsius.

We turned around at the Tasman Sea and headed towards our resting place for the night.  Once we stopped there was a phenomenal buffet awaiting us. As usual I ate way too much however there is always room for desert.  Our dinner companions were a nice couple from Germany ( Martin and Sabine) who were on their honeymoon.  They were on a month long trip in Australia before arriving in New Zealand where they would also stay for a month.  We enjoyed their company and we wish them both the best of luck.

Martin and Sabine

Prior to calling it an evening and heading to bed Kathy was able to take this picture.  A good way to end the evening. 

A special moment for me was the next morning, early the next morning.  I went up on deck at 6AM and had one end of the top deck to myself.  There wasn't a ripple on the water it was so calm. At first it appeared to be deathly silent as all engines were off.  Then the songbirds started or I was hearing them for the first time.  It was a symphony from the forest coming at me on three sides.  It was a pretty special 30 minutes.


I had a short repeat later that day when the captain recreated what I had this morning.  He stopped in a very pretty bay and shut down everything.  Everybody stood perfectly still for 5 minutes, just looked and listened.

My first special moment ended with the starting of the engines at 6:30AM. We had another wonderful buffet for breakfast and then spend the morning exploring more of the sound. It rained most of the morning but we still enjoyed ourselves immensely.  The quiet beauty of Doubtful Sound will be etched into our memories forever. It is one of the most beautiful places I have ever had the pleasure of seeing.



The return trip from the dock on Doubtful Sound to the dock on Lake Manapouri was pretty uneventful.  We were a couple of tired campers, happy but very tired.  We just can't handle all the excitement the way we used to.  We left Manapouri and pushed it right through to Queenstown where we are planning to stay for three nights.  It was a pretty special couple of days.