GO WEST, YOUNG (WO)MEN

April 10, 2011

We had an early start for a long bus trip to Milford Sound on the west coast of this island.  As the crow flies this trip would have been much shorter but unfortunately there are no passes, hence no roads across the mountains.  The 6 hour bus trip, with just a few short breaks took us through spectacular scenery up the mountains and down the valleys.  Prior to hitting the mountains we drove through numerous areas with herds of both sheep and deer.  Interesting that these domesticated deer (a hybrid of the red deer and elk) don’t jump their fences, but wild deer will and will come into the herd. 

Leaving the flatlands for higher ground we passed through a temperate rainforest filled with ferns, moss covered beech trees and mixed vegetation.  This forest is the home to many of the remaining kiwis.  But as they are nocturnal and still very elusive we didn’t have a prayer of seeing them in the wild.  Everywhere you looked there were beautiful sites...Mirror Lake, waterfalls, chasms and glaciers.  Everything one would expect in the mountains of the south island.

Weather was perfect as we started out the day with warming temps and lots of sun making the lakes sparkle with reflections of the shear walls and peaks.  Unfortunately the clouds that we saw covering the mountain peaks never did burn off and our boat trip through the fiords was just ordinary,  The steep rock walls and waterfalls would have been much prettier if we had sun…but at least it didn’t rain (something it does 200 days a year here)

Heading back to Queenstown, the sun is returning.  Perhaps it will give us a beautiful sunset on our 4 hour ride back. 

More fun facts from Deedee: 1.) There is only one native mammal in NZ and it is a small bat.  All other mammals were brought here.  2.) We are at 45 degrees south latitude.  3.)  Water does flow counter clockwise in the drains  (this was actually Linda’s observation).

Linda’s BIG aha moment…please follow along.  Two days ago Linda observed that we were having a waning moon and predicted that we would have a new moon in the next day or so. Tonight while traveling home by coach Linda saw the setting moon and it was definitely a last quarter moon.  What from last crescent to last quarter in TWO DAYS?  Not possible.  Oh wait…we are in the southern hemisphere.  Does that mean that the moon phases are reversed as well as the other natural phenomenon ( aka…water in drains) we have noticed.  Must be!  Instead of the first quarter being a lit side on the right….it is on the left.  WOW!

Mr Wizard and Bill Nye…watch out!  And DeeDee the non-science guy is just going huh? Shooting the moon?

BAA, BAA, BLACK SHEEP

April 9, 2011

Our day began with a steamboat ride across Lake Wakatipu on a 1902 vintage and restored ship.  Our 30 minute trip to Walter Peak, a sheep station was a great way to see more of the beautiful town of Queenstown and all the sites at the base of the Remarkable Mountains.  At the sheep station, we were able to feed some merino sheep, watch a Border Collie work the sheep, and sympathize with the sheep being shorn in front of the crowd.

 After tea (coffee too) and cakes on the veranda, we saw some deer, alpacas and a couple of Scottish long-haired cows.  This area is known for their merino wool and there are large deer farms.  The deer are farmed for meat going to Europe, as well as the velvet from their antlers, going to Asia.  NZ is also overrun with a bush tailed possum.  The cute little brown possum is hunted and its fur is mixed with merino wool for very soft and very expensive sweaters, hats and gloves.  Loved the feel of it and even if we had been headed into winter rather than summer, the $300+ price tags would have kept us from purchasing.

After our visit to the station, we took a gondola ride up the mountain for spectacular views of the lake and surrounding Remarkable Mountain range.  Even though we are just starting fall here, there is snow on some of the peaks.  This area has two ski areas.  While June to September is the key ski season, the town itself only receives a couple of snowfalls each year – so it is the only place in the world where you can ski in the morning and play golf in the afternoon.  While on top we sampled some local beer and food whilst we watched people bungee jump, parafly, and luge.  The gondolas were also equipped with bike racks and many mountain bikers take the gondola up and bike down.

We found a pub for a couple of beers and a little dinner, before heading back to our hotel.

DeeDee’s fun fact…When sheep’s teeth wear down and they can no longer eat they are sent to mutton heaven.

IF THIS IS WEDNESDAY, IT MUST BE NEW ZEALAND

April 6, 2011

Crikey!  This has been a grueling travel day.  We were up at 5:30, on the bus at 6:30, and at the airport by 7:30 for a 9:30 flight to Auckland, New Zealand.  A 2 ½ hour flight and a two hour time change and we landed in the country where each new day begins for the world.  We then loaded on a bus for a three hour ride to the town of Rotorua.  Travel days are always a challenge, but today seems to be one of the worst…of course, our last supper in Sydney with Bren and Rob and a few “nite caps” may be contributing to a portion of our discomfort.

We are on the north island of NZ and the countryside is very pretty – rolling hills, dairy and horse farms, and lots of trees.  The weather is cooler and the countryside reminds us of Wisconsin, with a few more tropical plants.   We arrived at our hotel and went right to dinner – choice of salmon or a chicken breast stuffed with feta and blueberries – both of which were wonderful.  We were in our room by 9:00, handwashed a few things, and enjoyed a much softer bed than we found in our hotel in Sydney. 

FROM THE MOUNTAINS TO THE VALLEYS TO THE OCEANS…

April 5, 2011

Today was a free day, since our itinerary changed after the earthquake in Christchurch.  We picked up a tour to the Blue Mountains, about two hours north of Sydney.  We stopped at the Weatherdale Wildlife Park along the way, where kangaroos roamed around freely, waiting to be fed by us.  There were lots of koalas, birds, little penguins, wombats and a Tasmanian Devil, too!  Our 1 hour stop flew by as these animals were friendly, tame and of such great variety that we all agreed this was the best animal park we’ve seen yet. 

Back on the bus we drove a short distance to the tiny little town of Leura.  Basically your tourist town similar to many of the quaint mountain towns of our west.  Gourmet lunch at the Red Door and then off to the rainforest.

We had rain off and on throughout the day and walking on the valley floor was not looking good.  The focal point of the area is The Three Sister, three large rock columns that legend says are three aboriginal girls who were turned to stone to protect them.  Bad news…it was a cloudy and rainy day – Good news…it cleared for a short time for us to see the formations but not from Echo Point, the regular viewing area.  Once at the Scenic World Center we were a little luckier and the sky cleared for a short time.  Buying a last minute ticket, we did take the world’s steepest railcar to the bottom of the rain forest for a short walk, before returning on a large gondola.  Bus ride back to Sydney for our last night in one of our favorite cities – clean and pretty trumps the high prices as long as we don’t need to spend more than four days.

We haven’t talked about the prices we have found throughout this colony but they are high.  Lunches are regularly over $10 for a simple sandwich or fish and chips.  Dinners usually start around $18 and that is not for anything special.  But the real shocker is the price of the alcohol.  It almost leads one to become sober.  When you find a beer for $8.00 you’re feeling pretty good. Linda was looking for her first martini last nite at a local pub.  No Absolute…no vermouth so she says, “Make it a Grey Goose on the rocks”  Watching them pour and remembering that the ‘standard’ serving is only 35ml or 1ounce she says, “No make that a double.”  Well $24 later she decided it was the best drink she ever had.  (and you were wondering why we didn’t buy opals…)

HIGHER & HIGHER

April 4, 2011

Another early wake-up call for a walking tour of the Rocks area.  The Rocks is where the convicts lived when Australia was first inhabited by the British.  It is a wonderfully historic area that is rich in architecture and tales and is now a collection of pubs and shops.    Jane, Al and Linda continued with the group on a ‘coffee cruise’ of the harbor.  The 2 hour cruise was a lovely way to see the fabulous skyline from the other side.  We saw some of the older historic areas as well as the mansions of the rich and famous.  Sorry ladies, no Russell Crowe sightings.  Though windy on the upper back deck of the ship, it was a perfect day for viewing.  The fact that Jane filled her camera’s memory and Linda emptied her camera’s battery is testament to how many pictures were taken.

Mean while DeeDee, Brendan and Rob took the ferry to Manly Beach.  Sydney has 40+ beaches, some on the harbor and some along the Pacific.  We all met up about noon and took the city bus across town for lunch at the local fish market.  It was fascinating, albeit smelly place where the locals come to shop and eat.  Inside the huge building were several markets that sold cooked products.  We feasted on plates of fried fish and prawns at a fraction of the usual restaurant prices.

At 4:00 PM – Jane and DeeDee climbed the Sydney Bridge.  The climb began with about an hour of orientation, including jumpsuits and a belt equipped with a headset to hear our guide and the tether to keep us connected to the bridge.  We spent about an hour walking up and an hour back down.  The walk was not strenuous, with only about 4 vertical ladders and the rest gradual steps.  We stopped several times for them to take photos of us.  Because we did the twilight walk, we were able to see the lights of the city come on before we descended.  What a thrill…and another thing checked off our bucket lists!  We met up with Linda, Al, Bren and Rob for a few celebratory drinks and found a wonderful Italian restaurant for dinner. Silly with accomplishment, filled with good food and a little sloshy with alcohol we made our way back to the hotel on the bus. 

Thanx to Bren and Rob, who lived here and knew the city so well, we felt confident in our ability to navigate, many forms of transportation today.  Bus and ferry with a single all day pass and monorail for a view from above.

ps…thanks to JWS for the phone call J

CITY SIDEWALKS, BUSY SIDEWALKS

April 3, 2011

We had a coach tour of the city this morning, which included a tour of the famous Sydney Opera House.  This amazing landmark has two theaters and took 14 years to build – only 11 years and many millions over schedule.  Our amazing tour inside gave us a rundown of the building process and all the “political” issues that hampered its building.  This truly Sydney icon is recognized not only for its innovative design but for pushing the envelope in technological development to construct what the architect had designed.  Inside the theaters we were able to listen in on the practice of several hundred Suzuki violin students.  Either they were amazingly good or the acoustics made them seem that way.  We’re betting on a combination of both. 

 After the Opera House, our bus took us to the famous Bondi Beach where we had a chance to walk along the beach and enjoy a gelato cone in the sunshine.  As it was Sunday many families were taking advantage of what could be one of the last sunny FALL weekends. 

Our last stop was at a jewelry store for a short talk on opals and a chance to purchase – and much to everyone’s surprise, we left empty handed.  This shopping was not like the normal jewelry shopping we have encountered.  No beers...no purchasing.  Because it was a Sunday, the streets in the “Rocks” area were full of artisans, book sellers, and food booths, so we strolled through the area.  Linda, Jane and Al took a night tour of the city, with dinner and a water taxi ride across the harbor to the Sydney Aquarium.  The evening for the trio was ho-hum.   Food…good, taxi ride….bumpy,  aquarium…does not compare to the Monterrey Bay Aquarium.   DeeDee went to dinner with our Aussie friends, Brendan and Rob.  They live near Brisbane, but flew to Sydney to see the TravelinTrio and to meet Al!

FROM SUBLIME TO RIDCULOUS AND BACK AGAIN

April 2, 2011

Leaving the tropical paradise with temps and humidifies both in the 90’s+  A few folks have enjoyed the weather…this author is hankering for the cooler temps of Sydney.