Since the city of Wellington, which is referred to as the Windy City, is rather large and our time was so limited, we elected to take a city bus tour and attempt to get an overview. We took a ride on the Wellington Cable Car that was originally opened in 1902. It appeared that there was so much to see but the Te-Papa Museum was a must. The area dedicated to the Maori culture was especially beautiful.

On this evening, we found a place in a suburb of Petone called Fireman's Arms. The specialty is pizza but we quickly discovered that New Zealand pizza is not like we have in the US! Imagine chicken with curry and banana on pizza with sour cream! It was wonderful!

Tuesday 12/18

We traveled from Wellington at the lower end of the North Island to Picton on the South Island aboard The Lynx. We traveled at 8 am with campervans and all. ! Reservations are a must. This is an interisland line that transfers passengers and vehicles from the North and South Islands of New Zealand. This is a nice vessel with comfortable seating, reading materials and a place to have breakfast; the crossing took about three hours and the scenery was spectacular. The cost for the campervan and two passengers was $164.00 NZ It was a bit of a rough ride since the weather was uncooperative. When we got to Picton, we made a stop at the Cloudy Bay Winery, did some sampling, looked around at the glorious vineyard and then traveled on to see an active sheep farm

Wednesday 12/19

We traveled south down the west side of the island, past Pancake Rocks and Blowhole. We saw the seal caves and the spent night in Greymouth at the Seaside Top 10 Holiday Park. This is a lovely caravan park and was populated with folks from all over the world who were eager to share the stories of their travels.

I would encourage you to make a strong point of getting out as you travel to talk to other visitors and the locals. This is the greatest opportunity of travel and the experience of others is definitely your greatest resource and reward.

Our hosts, Matt and Steph had taken every convenience into careful consideration; welcoming smiles, lots of lush green grass, beautiful shower facilities with lots of hot water, and a fantastic internet setup that is well cared for and comfortable.

This is indeed a family resort so the kids are quite welcome. We met their three young ones and their wonderful Saint Bernard! I'd have brought him home but I didn't expect the airlines to allow that much luggage.

Thursday 12/20

We visited the town of Franz Joseph Glacier. This is an area that any visitor to the South Island must consider and there are lots of options to make the visit spectacular! There are helicopter rides, guided glacier trips of a full or ½ day, or you may park your vehicle and hike the 30 minute round trip. I looked like a wild place in the winter months with tons of additional activities. Keep in mind that New Zealand is well known for Adventure Sports so there are many to experience for those so inclined.

One note worth mentioning is that on the South Island of New Zealand the population is sparse. There are many bridges that cross over the most spectacular and clearest water that you can imagine. The interesting thing is that as you approach many of the bridges, is that they are narrow and one way so you must wait for any oncoming vehicles to pass. Occasionally, the same bridge is also shared by the railroad! The other point of interest is that banks are few and far between; so are ATMs….so, when you get to the town of Franz Joseph Glacier, you will find that the closest bank or ATM is a four hour drive! From our experience, we would advise anyone wanting to see NZ not to try to do both islands inside a two week time schedule! There is entirely too much to see just along the roads so this allows little time for making stops! We realized all to quickly that we missed a lot and allowed for minimal time in areas where we would have liked to spend more.

Driving on the South Island is very mountainous and one is advised to be very rested. Although the plan was to drive to Queenstown, we decided to stop for the night at Haast, our last stop on the Western Coast.

The drive and visions from Haast to Queenstown was something that will be recalled for a lifetime. The four of us have tried to come up with a description for the shade of blue that colors the water; azure or maybe aquamarine? Mike finally came up with glacier blue since water that fills lakes from glaciers always seem to be this color…I don't know if that is a fact but the name seems to fit.

Our route took us by a waterfall that beckoned and once we got to it, we knew why! As we shared this scene, we saw two men also entranced by the cascading waters. One had on a Seattle Mariner t-shirt so being from Washington and die hard Mariner baseball fans, we had to ask if he was from the US. Not only was he from the US but he also works with the Mariners! Here he was traveling with his mate from NZ! And our world shrinks…the odds; please tell me.

Friday 12/21

From the falls, we drove on past sites that completely boggle the mind and passed more glacier water and even saw cattle crossing a stream…..we drove past beautiful vineyards and lots of fresh fruit and vegetable stands and a bungy jump that would thrill an expert…then we arrived at Queenstown! This is the place so there is no question as to how it has such an aptly chosen name. We took a chair lift to the mountain top for a birds eye view of the city.

As we rode up, we saw sheep grazing on the mountain side and it looked very precarious! We also had a great view of yet another bungy jump and this time I was prepared as this brave soul took his leap. It appeared that I was more nervous than he because my screams were louder!

There is a dinner available but we had not made reservations so unfortunately, I can't comment; and after watching the jump, I don't think I could have eaten anything but soda crackers anyway!

I have learned that the water here and around the enchanting town is as deep as the mountains are tall…there are lots of great shopping venues and from what I hear, Queenstown has 150 restaurants. We took a bus/boat tour to Doubtful Sound to see the fiords, the seals and the dolphins. We then traveled by bus through a long tunnel to an underground power plant etc. The boat ride was splendid but the trip into the underground is not for anyone who is bothered by confined places….I don't care what the tour guides tell you…be forewarned!

Saturday 12/22

We pulled into Queenstown and stayed at the Creeksyde Caravan Park. This park was so much fun and whimsical! The park offers absolutely 1st class restrooms and laundry. The owners- (husband half) is a plumber by trade and as a result has used all kinds of plumbing items through the park.

Toilets have become planters, the RV dump station has a flush, there are pipes and things used in some of the greatest of ideas. There is a big pole in the center of the big amenity block which invites guest to sign their name to it. His wife has a gift for decorating and comforts; even a free Internet set up! There is a great staff so no need is too great and you can count on lots of fun.

Sunday 12/23

We left Queenstown and headed toward Christchurch to travel through MacKenzie Country and some of the most colorful visions our eyes could hold. There are wild Lupines gowing for as far as you can see...pink, rose, burgundy, lavender, purple, orange, peach, rust, yellow, and white….for miles and miles…fortunately I use a digital camera so I must have taken 50 shots of flowers. It was magnificent. I shall never forget the vision for as long as I live!