The title says it all. Our day began with another rainbow, this time over Christchurch as we sat down for breakfast with our host Michael. Over breakfast he gave us the best directions to the airport, we found out he used to do photography, the room we stayed in used to be his studio, and he shared a few photography tips with Hayley. With all our belongings gathered in the car we said goodbye and followed Michael’s directions, getting to the airport with no difficulty. At check-in we said goodbye to our bags until U. S. Customs and then made our way to our plane for Auckland.
In Auckland we would have a five hour layover, therefore we made plans to meet up with Graeme again. As we disembarked the plane Graeme called to let us know where we could meet up with him outside the terminal. Finding Graeme we threw our carry-ons into the boot and headed off for some lunch. The first place we tried, near the airport, had a limited menu because the kitchen was closed, it was in between lunch and dinner hours. Our second stop, Frolic, located near One Tree Hill we made just before their kitchen closed for the afternoon hours. With a plate of pasta and a piece of chocolate cake in our stomachs Graeme took us up to the top of One Tree Hill to give us one last look around the city. What is funny about the name One Tree Hill is there is no tree atop it now, an angry man cut it down. Reacquiring our bearings we have come full circle, starting and ending our time in New Zealand here in Auckland.
Back at the airport Graeme waited while Hayley and I paid our departure fees to leave the country, something we later overheard someone jokingly refer to as a fine for leaving the country. We made our way upstairs to the food court area where we would meet up with Graeme’s wife, Vanessa, and their two kids. For the next hour we hung out, lounging around. At 530pm we said our farewells and Hayley and I made our way through immigration and security. Knowing we would not eat for a few more hours we decided to grab a quick burger at the Burger King inside the secured area. I know, it is a shame to claim our last meal in New Zealand was a double cheeseburger and a whopper, but it is basically all we had for options.
On board our flight home, in the air just off shore to the northeast of New Zealand I took photos of the sunset we were leaving behind. Once above ten thousand feet the in-flight entertainment was activated. Hayley and I opted for different choices—I with “The Simpsons Movie” and “The Shawshank Redemption,” Hayley with “Into the Wild” and some games of Tetris and Solitaire. Fading in and out of sleep we kept track of our flight status on the screens in front of us utilizing the flight tracker, something that was very fascinating. We reached an altitude of 39,000 feet and the outside temperature reached a bone-chilling 56 below Celsius, just some useless, yet intriguing information to share. As the sun rose for the second time, only this time over the Pacific, we dined on a hot airline breakfast of scrambled eggs and pancakes.
With our seat backs and tray tables in their full upright and locked positions we touched down shortly after ten in the morning on U.S. soil. As we taxied to our gate I powered my cell phone up to send out text messages to the family letting them know we were back in the States. However, every time I went to start a text I was interrupted with an incoming text. My sister Andria, someone I text message with almost every day except while I was out of the country, was excited to have me back in the country and sent me eight messages for me to read upon our arrival—she wanted to make up for all the texts we were not able to share while traveling abroad by sending me, in her own words, numerous “frivolous text messages.” As we deplaned my dad called and I told him I would call him back after we cleared through customs and got settled at our departure gate. We then gathered our bags and stood in line for more than a half hour because of an apple. With neither Hayley nor I being tremendously hungry and eating the apple I properly reported it on my declaration form. This led to our requirement of going through the agriculture line. The end result was the half hour wait and Customs took the apple. Hayley, while in line, told me she would have told me to just throw the apple away—now she tells me.
Once cleared through Customs we dropped our bags to continue on their journey home to Oklahoma, found the shuttle over to Terminal Seven, passed through security and found that our flight to Denver was delayed. Following a bathroom stop to satisfy the need to brush teeth and hair (Hayley) and down some Starbucks, we got switched to a flight that would leave earlier than our original flight. Having gotten situated in the airport it was time to call my Dad back. Looking at my incoming calls in preparation to call my dad back, it was weird to see his call had come in four hours earlier then Graeme’s call back in Auckland seventeen hours prior. I called my Dad back while searching for a place to eat and talked with my sister Mary and my Mom. After checking in with everyone we stopped and ate lunch again. To answer the question everyone has been asking, it was better than the first time we ate at LAX, we are not still LAX-tose intolerant. And it was comforting for Hayley to get pink lemonade, a lemonade that was NOT Sprite.
With satisfied bellies we checked the departures screen, our original flight was now scheduled to depart earlier than our changed flight. Armed with that information we got switched back to the original. While waiting Hayley got to call her parents for fifteen minutes, making her overjoyed, she knew she was home. While on the phone with her parents they told her about the tornados in Wisconsin the other day. She mentioned that Graeme had told us about them earlier this morning, yet in reality he had not told us for a few more hours thanks to the anomaly of the International Dateline travel. It was quite humorous when I explained it to Hayley later. Her call was cut short so we could board our plane. On board a nearly empty plane, another long lost comfort of home was found when the flight attendants served up pretzels. Hayley was doing the “Snoopy dance” again. You see, for three weeks she has been unable to have pretzels to snack on because we could never find them in New Zealand in a snackable size. The only pretzels we could find were sold in a huge box, which was more than what she needed.
Airborne for Denver and in the window seat this time, Hayley took pictures of our second sunset of the day, this time over western Colorado. Landing in Denver was really sad because at 530pm it was dark out. If we had stayed in New Zealand it would not get dark for another four to five hours.
In Denver we received another dose of American travel I have become accustomed to, the information of our plane being delayed. With an extra hour to kill in Denver we searched for food, traveling to the A, B, and C terminals in hopes to find a nice sit-down restaurant. We were hoping for a sit down restaurant with a waiter or waitress to assist us instead of having to order at a counter and then carrying our own food to the table. With no luck in the sit-down department we settled for a quick Sbarro-like Italian place.
Following a brief wait after dinner we were back in the air for Oklahoma City. We both took the opportunity to sleep on the one hour flight. Arriving at our home airport, Will Rogers World Airport, in Oklahoma City we gathered our bags and my car Sunshine and homeward bound we went.
Back at home we checked the snail mail, I downloaded our long day of pictures, I did a load of laundry, Hayley watched four episodes of “Friends,” and we both checked our emails. Now, after a 37 plus hour day here on 10 January 2008, seven meals, two sunsets and a rainbow I am going to bed.
Cheers to all for staying with us,
Bobby and Hayley
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Friday, January 25, 2008
Tug of War – 09 January 2008
Under normal conditions the only time I see four o’clock in the morning is when I am still up, not waking up. Today however was cause for the four in the morning wake up, the need to call and confirm our balloon ride was still a go. With the push of eight buttons, a few rings and a recorded message on the other end of the receiver I was back in our guest room waking Hayley up to get a move on. Scarfing down a yogurt, a banana, a can of peaches and half a slice of burnt toast while getting ready I was ready to go. At 430am we were out the door, complete with a continental breakfast-in-a-bag for Hayley; a yogurt, a banana and two slices of buttered toast in my hand.
In the car, with tired, sleepy eyes I tried to read the ever-so-small print of our road map to get the street names we needed. Unable to focus on them without a magnifying glass I deferred the navigation to Hayley and began our way. We were excited along the route, as one of the roads we traveled on was Linwood Avenue, and it was spelled correctly. Woo-hoo! Arriving at the Merivale Mall car park at about ten to five we met with the rest of the early rising balloonists and awaited our buses. Moments later we boarded the buses and got an overview of what to expect while in route to our launch site located on a driving range of a golf course.
At the golf course participation was encouraged to help lift the basket off the trailer and stretch out the balloon on the ground. There were sixty balloonists this morning and only three balloons and baskets. Hayley and I looked at one another and questioned how in the world we would get so many people into the three baskets. Once the balloons were filled with air by fans, our pilot, Nigel, turned on the burners and began to warm the air, ultimately lifting the balloon to an upright and locked position above the basket. With a hop, skip, and a jump we had twenty three people in total in our basket, counting our pilot. Surprisingly it was not all that cramped, at least not as much as I figured it would be. Following a quick test of our “landing” positions we were airborne with Up, Up and Away Balloon Safaris.
As we drifted upwards to the Heavens the clouds and morning fog were breaking, revealing a beautiful sunrise. Far below us, some 3500 meters below, we watched the plains of Canterbury slowly pass by and took in the sounds of the sheep and cattle grazing on the farmland. It was very peaceful up there in the sky, not a care in the world, except when my mind began to think of where I was. I was doing well in our confined basket space, but if my mind got to thinking of what I was standing on and in, and how it was attached to the nylon above, I began to feel a little uneasy. Therefore, I kept my mind from thinking about it by staying focused on my video camera and capturing the beauty that surrounded us.
After an hour of flight time we assumed the landing position and gracefully set down in a farmer’s cow pasture. Once our bus and follow trailer made contact with the farm owner and provided him with a bottle of champagne we were clear to get out. Avoiding the steaming land mines left by our gracious cattle hosts another balloonist and I grabbed hold of a long black rope attached to the top of the balloon and went for a hike. Across the pasture we were in a tug of war with the balloon, ultimately pulling the warm-air filled balloon to the ground. To expedite the release of the warm air in the balloon, other balloonists laid down on the skyward side of the balloon and began to roll towards the opening at the top. The site of this was similar to a baseball grounds crew trying to get all the air out of the tarp before rolling it up. With a few whooshes of air the balloon was flat enough we could bunch it up and place it back in the bag it started the morning in. Moments later the gear was packed on the trailer and we were toasting our glasses of champagne in traditional fashion of all successful balloon rides.
Back at the car park in Christchurch we dropped our bags in the car and made a breakfast and toilet stop at McDonald’s across the street. We followed that up with a walk around the mall to see if there was anything left we absolutely needed to bring home to the States. Exhaustion hitting us made the shopping spree short and fruitless. Returning to our bed and breakfast shortly before eleven we said good morning to our host then went inside to take a nap.
“Ring, ring!” went my cell phone at two in the afternoon and I sprang to life. On the other end was a high school classmate of mine, Amy Gilman. She and her husband live here in Christchurch, along with their daughter and two dogs. Having played email tag with Amy over the past week we were setting up an opportunity to get together for a visit. Fifteen minutes after the phone woke me up we had dinner plans at Amy’s tonight at 7pm.
For the time being though, Hayley and I needed some food. We made a trip down the hill and then a right into Sumner along the coast of the Pacific. After parking the car we walked around until we found a place called Poseidon on the beach. The food was not anything to write home about, but it was food that satisfied an empty stomach. With our time in New Zealand dwindling we wanted to soak up as much as we could. We took a walk along the beach, explored the Cave Rock adjacent to the restaurant we ate at, browsed the opened stores in town and window shopped the “closed for the holidays” art galleries. Returning to our residence in Christchurch we took our turns showering and I downloaded the day’s photos.
About 645pm we rolled up outside Amy’s place. With introductions out of the way we made our way to the back deck to sip on some Pepsi while Amy’s husband John tended to the grill with tonight’s fare. During conversation first my eyes lit up then Hayley’s eyes lit up as we both discovered what was on the plate John was bringing to the table, buffalo wings. From their experience the first time they visited New Zealand, one food they craved after three weeks was buffalo wings, not a standard menu item down here, but a staple amongst us all. As Hayley and I tore into the wings and Amy fed their daughter, John returned to the grill to finish up the next course. With the wings disappearing, John placed on the table a bowl of roasted red peppers and zucchini and a platter of steaks and sausages. Hayley and I were in Heaven, delicious and familiar foods. Now wait, the best has yet to come. For dessert, Amy cooked up a raspberry and strawberry pavlova. In the kitchen with the night settling in outside, we continued our conversation about our honeymoon trip, our wedding, Amy and John’s trips to New Zealand and their move here. We also discussed places of interest that either we had been they want to go or places they have been we want to go, including the Tongariro Crossing. As the glow of street lights grew stronger, we said our goodbyes about 1030pm and went home for the evening.
Home by 11pm our emotional tug of war kicked into high gear. On one end of the rope we were having a great time, loving what we have been doing and not wanting to go home. The other end of the rope resided our emotions of wanting to return home to see family, get back into a land of familiarity, and have an opportunity to relax. To compound the tug of war, we had to unpack everything so we could assess what we had to take home then play the tug of war weight limit game so we did not have to pay over-the-limit charges. It was while we were unpacking everything I discovered I had somehow misplaced the fennel honey I was so excited about bringing home and trying. In disappointment I realized I had left it in the hotel room back in Taupo, the city where I had purchased it. With our bags all packed and tomorrow’s clothes set out for the morning it is now time for some sleep.
Cheers,
Bob and Hayley
Restaurant Names We Found Funny:
· Sticky Rice
· Two Fat Indians
· The Headless Mexican
· The Salty Pig Deli
In the car, with tired, sleepy eyes I tried to read the ever-so-small print of our road map to get the street names we needed. Unable to focus on them without a magnifying glass I deferred the navigation to Hayley and began our way. We were excited along the route, as one of the roads we traveled on was Linwood Avenue, and it was spelled correctly. Woo-hoo! Arriving at the Merivale Mall car park at about ten to five we met with the rest of the early rising balloonists and awaited our buses. Moments later we boarded the buses and got an overview of what to expect while in route to our launch site located on a driving range of a golf course.
At the golf course participation was encouraged to help lift the basket off the trailer and stretch out the balloon on the ground. There were sixty balloonists this morning and only three balloons and baskets. Hayley and I looked at one another and questioned how in the world we would get so many people into the three baskets. Once the balloons were filled with air by fans, our pilot, Nigel, turned on the burners and began to warm the air, ultimately lifting the balloon to an upright and locked position above the basket. With a hop, skip, and a jump we had twenty three people in total in our basket, counting our pilot. Surprisingly it was not all that cramped, at least not as much as I figured it would be. Following a quick test of our “landing” positions we were airborne with Up, Up and Away Balloon Safaris.
As we drifted upwards to the Heavens the clouds and morning fog were breaking, revealing a beautiful sunrise. Far below us, some 3500 meters below, we watched the plains of Canterbury slowly pass by and took in the sounds of the sheep and cattle grazing on the farmland. It was very peaceful up there in the sky, not a care in the world, except when my mind began to think of where I was. I was doing well in our confined basket space, but if my mind got to thinking of what I was standing on and in, and how it was attached to the nylon above, I began to feel a little uneasy. Therefore, I kept my mind from thinking about it by staying focused on my video camera and capturing the beauty that surrounded us.
After an hour of flight time we assumed the landing position and gracefully set down in a farmer’s cow pasture. Once our bus and follow trailer made contact with the farm owner and provided him with a bottle of champagne we were clear to get out. Avoiding the steaming land mines left by our gracious cattle hosts another balloonist and I grabbed hold of a long black rope attached to the top of the balloon and went for a hike. Across the pasture we were in a tug of war with the balloon, ultimately pulling the warm-air filled balloon to the ground. To expedite the release of the warm air in the balloon, other balloonists laid down on the skyward side of the balloon and began to roll towards the opening at the top. The site of this was similar to a baseball grounds crew trying to get all the air out of the tarp before rolling it up. With a few whooshes of air the balloon was flat enough we could bunch it up and place it back in the bag it started the morning in. Moments later the gear was packed on the trailer and we were toasting our glasses of champagne in traditional fashion of all successful balloon rides.
Back at the car park in Christchurch we dropped our bags in the car and made a breakfast and toilet stop at McDonald’s across the street. We followed that up with a walk around the mall to see if there was anything left we absolutely needed to bring home to the States. Exhaustion hitting us made the shopping spree short and fruitless. Returning to our bed and breakfast shortly before eleven we said good morning to our host then went inside to take a nap.
“Ring, ring!” went my cell phone at two in the afternoon and I sprang to life. On the other end was a high school classmate of mine, Amy Gilman. She and her husband live here in Christchurch, along with their daughter and two dogs. Having played email tag with Amy over the past week we were setting up an opportunity to get together for a visit. Fifteen minutes after the phone woke me up we had dinner plans at Amy’s tonight at 7pm.
For the time being though, Hayley and I needed some food. We made a trip down the hill and then a right into Sumner along the coast of the Pacific. After parking the car we walked around until we found a place called Poseidon on the beach. The food was not anything to write home about, but it was food that satisfied an empty stomach. With our time in New Zealand dwindling we wanted to soak up as much as we could. We took a walk along the beach, explored the Cave Rock adjacent to the restaurant we ate at, browsed the opened stores in town and window shopped the “closed for the holidays” art galleries. Returning to our residence in Christchurch we took our turns showering and I downloaded the day’s photos.
About 645pm we rolled up outside Amy’s place. With introductions out of the way we made our way to the back deck to sip on some Pepsi while Amy’s husband John tended to the grill with tonight’s fare. During conversation first my eyes lit up then Hayley’s eyes lit up as we both discovered what was on the plate John was bringing to the table, buffalo wings. From their experience the first time they visited New Zealand, one food they craved after three weeks was buffalo wings, not a standard menu item down here, but a staple amongst us all. As Hayley and I tore into the wings and Amy fed their daughter, John returned to the grill to finish up the next course. With the wings disappearing, John placed on the table a bowl of roasted red peppers and zucchini and a platter of steaks and sausages. Hayley and I were in Heaven, delicious and familiar foods. Now wait, the best has yet to come. For dessert, Amy cooked up a raspberry and strawberry pavlova. In the kitchen with the night settling in outside, we continued our conversation about our honeymoon trip, our wedding, Amy and John’s trips to New Zealand and their move here. We also discussed places of interest that either we had been they want to go or places they have been we want to go, including the Tongariro Crossing. As the glow of street lights grew stronger, we said our goodbyes about 1030pm and went home for the evening.
Home by 11pm our emotional tug of war kicked into high gear. On one end of the rope we were having a great time, loving what we have been doing and not wanting to go home. The other end of the rope resided our emotions of wanting to return home to see family, get back into a land of familiarity, and have an opportunity to relax. To compound the tug of war, we had to unpack everything so we could assess what we had to take home then play the tug of war weight limit game so we did not have to pay over-the-limit charges. It was while we were unpacking everything I discovered I had somehow misplaced the fennel honey I was so excited about bringing home and trying. In disappointment I realized I had left it in the hotel room back in Taupo, the city where I had purchased it. With our bags all packed and tomorrow’s clothes set out for the morning it is now time for some sleep.
Cheers,
Bob and Hayley
Restaurant Names We Found Funny:
· Sticky Rice
· Two Fat Indians
· The Headless Mexican
· The Salty Pig Deli
Ride to Rohan – 08 January 2008
Oh what a beautiful day it turned out to be to ride into Rohan. Hayley and I started with a big cooked breakfast at our bed and breakfast, chatting with our hosts, Michael and Jean. Michael wanted to know how “this GPS thing” worked and I explained. Jean walked around with a tennis racquet like fly swatter hunting for big house flies. She was a little firecracker and just hated those little buggers. She managed to get a few too.
After breakfast we found ourselves at the Methven Information Centre awaiting our transport, the EDORA5, to take us to Mount Sunday, also known as Edoras, the capital of Rohan. The EDORA5 is one of the vehicles used by Hassle-free Tours, a company that has been carboNZero certified for using fuel made from recycled hotel and restaurant cooking oil. On board we were treated to Lord of the Rings trivia delivered by our guide, Mack. Some of what he told us we already knew from the DVD extras, some we knew from prior tours in the past two and a half weeks, yet some came as a surprise to us. One of the big surprise pieces we were not aware of was Sean Connery was initially sought after for the roll of Gandalf, yet he turned the roll down. Now rumor is, Peter Jackson and New Line Cinemas wanted him so bad Connery was offered a salary of ten to fifteen percent of the Box Office ticket sales. That would have translated into a payment of four hundred to six hundred million dollars. I bet Connery is kicking himself for that decision now, although could you envision Connery as Gandalf after the fine performance given by Ian MacKellen? Another little tidbit we came across is the nine members of the Fellowship all got a tattoo reading “The Elvish Nine.” When Peter Jackson found out about it he too got a tattoo, only his read “The Elvish Ten.”
When Mack appeared to be finished telling all his stories the Lord of the Rings soundtrack began to play. The music climaxed as we came around a bend in the road and Mack uttered the words “Welcome to Rohan.” As we descended into the river valley surrounding Mount Sunday (Edoras) we made numerous stops for everyone to get out, stretch their legs, and grabbed a photograph or two. Driving along the side of Mount Sunday, across some river branches, and up the back of side of the mount we parked halfway up. From here we traveled on foot the rest of the way. At the summit we were shown pictures while Mack explained where the buildings sat, including the Golden Hall, and where Helm’s Deep resided in reference to Edoras. When the explanations were over, it was photo time. What really made these photos awesome is we had replica props to hold in the photos. Hayley and I got to dual while Hayley garnered Sting, a Hobbit’s sword, and I wielded Aragorn’s sword. We also took pictures of us with Gimli’s axe and the flag of Rohan. It was definitely a very cool and rock ‘em sock ‘em moment for the two of us.
Back at the base we had lunch and a champagne toast to celebrate Rohan. Unable to purchase souvenirs, because they got wiped out during the holidays, we left with our photographic memories and a cork from the champagne bottle. This was my second cork to be saved from the honeymoon, the first from the bottle we received from Jean and Michael last night. On the road to Methven, we both took the opportunity to catch a few zzz’s on the bus ride back while listening to more of the Lord of the Rings soundtrack.
In Methven, after making a confirmation call to our hot air balloon ride vendor for tomorrow we gathered the car and made our way to Christchurch. Without the GPS of the North Island, finding our bed and breakfast was my one big worry in trying to find. With directions emailed to us in hand, Hayley truly stepped up and navigated us through Christchurch and up Mt. Pleasant to our bed and breakfast.
Not eating a lot for lunch we were starving. Our host, Michael, called ahead to a French restaurant just down the road and got us in. The food was excellent, yet we had to wait a considerable amount of time for the food. It took us nearly two hours to dine. Two hours we really did not have to spare, as we needed to get to bed early because tomorrow starts at 4am. With the night getting short I have been typing like the wind while watching Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone on New Zealand television. Here in New Zealand it is not called the Sorcerer’s Stone.
Cheers,
Bob and Hayley
After breakfast we found ourselves at the Methven Information Centre awaiting our transport, the EDORA5, to take us to Mount Sunday, also known as Edoras, the capital of Rohan. The EDORA5 is one of the vehicles used by Hassle-free Tours, a company that has been carboNZero certified for using fuel made from recycled hotel and restaurant cooking oil. On board we were treated to Lord of the Rings trivia delivered by our guide, Mack. Some of what he told us we already knew from the DVD extras, some we knew from prior tours in the past two and a half weeks, yet some came as a surprise to us. One of the big surprise pieces we were not aware of was Sean Connery was initially sought after for the roll of Gandalf, yet he turned the roll down. Now rumor is, Peter Jackson and New Line Cinemas wanted him so bad Connery was offered a salary of ten to fifteen percent of the Box Office ticket sales. That would have translated into a payment of four hundred to six hundred million dollars. I bet Connery is kicking himself for that decision now, although could you envision Connery as Gandalf after the fine performance given by Ian MacKellen? Another little tidbit we came across is the nine members of the Fellowship all got a tattoo reading “The Elvish Nine.” When Peter Jackson found out about it he too got a tattoo, only his read “The Elvish Ten.”
When Mack appeared to be finished telling all his stories the Lord of the Rings soundtrack began to play. The music climaxed as we came around a bend in the road and Mack uttered the words “Welcome to Rohan.” As we descended into the river valley surrounding Mount Sunday (Edoras) we made numerous stops for everyone to get out, stretch their legs, and grabbed a photograph or two. Driving along the side of Mount Sunday, across some river branches, and up the back of side of the mount we parked halfway up. From here we traveled on foot the rest of the way. At the summit we were shown pictures while Mack explained where the buildings sat, including the Golden Hall, and where Helm’s Deep resided in reference to Edoras. When the explanations were over, it was photo time. What really made these photos awesome is we had replica props to hold in the photos. Hayley and I got to dual while Hayley garnered Sting, a Hobbit’s sword, and I wielded Aragorn’s sword. We also took pictures of us with Gimli’s axe and the flag of Rohan. It was definitely a very cool and rock ‘em sock ‘em moment for the two of us.
Back at the base we had lunch and a champagne toast to celebrate Rohan. Unable to purchase souvenirs, because they got wiped out during the holidays, we left with our photographic memories and a cork from the champagne bottle. This was my second cork to be saved from the honeymoon, the first from the bottle we received from Jean and Michael last night. On the road to Methven, we both took the opportunity to catch a few zzz’s on the bus ride back while listening to more of the Lord of the Rings soundtrack.
In Methven, after making a confirmation call to our hot air balloon ride vendor for tomorrow we gathered the car and made our way to Christchurch. Without the GPS of the North Island, finding our bed and breakfast was my one big worry in trying to find. With directions emailed to us in hand, Hayley truly stepped up and navigated us through Christchurch and up Mt. Pleasant to our bed and breakfast.
Not eating a lot for lunch we were starving. Our host, Michael, called ahead to a French restaurant just down the road and got us in. The food was excellent, yet we had to wait a considerable amount of time for the food. It took us nearly two hours to dine. Two hours we really did not have to spare, as we needed to get to bed early because tomorrow starts at 4am. With the night getting short I have been typing like the wind while watching Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone on New Zealand television. Here in New Zealand it is not called the Sorcerer’s Stone.
Cheers,
Bob and Hayley
Taste the Rainbow – 07 January 2008
Wow! What a surprising morning today was. The first surprise was Hayley got up before me which rarely happens. Second, when I opened the drapes to check the weather conditions outside over what portrayed the “Plains of Rohan” there was a faint rainbow. The third surprise came when we went upstairs for breakfast and finally met our host. The stairwell was lined with framed photos of people in their Lord of the Rings costumes. Over breakfast our host told us how her husband Lester, her son Paul, her daughter-in-law Penny (Paul’s wife), and five of their horses all acted in the LOTR trilogy. Lester and Paul were Riders of Rohan while Penny was an Orc. Lester, being tall and having been a rodeo rider in the past, also was a stand-in for some of the taller actors. And finally, the last big surprise to the LOTR fans, particularly Hayley, was to find out that Gandalf could not ride a horse. Hayley was saddened by this news. Our host continued to tell us more LOTR stories, including how some of the 30,000 acres they used to own just over the rise in their backyard a kilometer away was used for the Battle of Rohan.
Following our morning of wonderful inside scoop on LOTR we hit the road for Methven, our next LOTR adventure. Stopping just a few kilometers up the road from Twizel we checked out the would-be view of Mt. Cook/Aoraki at the other end of Lake Pukaki in the gift shop on a postcard because our real view was clouded over at the other end of the lake. In fact, if you did not know Mt. Cook/Aoraki was there you would not know it existed. Fortunately for us, the icy blue glacial water of Lake Pukaki was highlighted by the sun in the foreground. Before we departed we satisfied a sweet tooth craving with a raspberry ice slushy for Hayley and a cola one for me.
Back on the road for about an hour Hayley dosed back off to sleep while I checked off kilometer after kilometer of more beautiful scenery; traversing over mountain passes, through tree lined farm land and along lake and river shores. I woke Hayley when I parked at a place called The Tin Shed, home to natural New Zealand products. We did a little bit of browsing and shopping here with a five percent discount voucher we received from our host this morning. One thing we picked up was a bag of some delicious jelly beans in support of the Children’s Cancer Association. As we continued on our way our taste buds danced to the delightful flavors of the jelly beans.
Crossing the bridge into Ashburton we stopped to visit some friends of our Queenstown hosts at the Bernina Sewing Center. Here we picked up some fabric and scrapbooking materials. We mentioned we were sent by Neil at the Coronet View in Queenstown. She was happy to hear he and his wife were doing well and said she needed to make a trip up to visit them.
After having a quick bite to eat we set out again. With a slight wrong turn and twenty kilometers out of the way and back we were on track for Methven. Arriving at the Bendale Farm Bed & Breakfast we unloaded the car and relaxed. Our hosts, Jean and Michael, provided us with a bottle of Sparkling Rose on ice to congratulate us on our honeymoon. Jean also corresponded for us with our homestay family for tomorrow night, confirming our estimated arrival time and directions to their location. While discussing the beautiful weather we had been having I joked how the thirty-plus degrees we had been having the past three days was far different than the thirty-plus degrees back home in the States. Talking with Jean reminded me of my Grammy Gee, except Jean is not a Red Sox fan, she’s a big rugby fan.
With an early dinner we retired to our room, drank the Sparkling Rose and watched some television before journaling, reading and ipoding. In other words, we have been taking it easy.
Cheers,
Bob and Hayley
Following our morning of wonderful inside scoop on LOTR we hit the road for Methven, our next LOTR adventure. Stopping just a few kilometers up the road from Twizel we checked out the would-be view of Mt. Cook/Aoraki at the other end of Lake Pukaki in the gift shop on a postcard because our real view was clouded over at the other end of the lake. In fact, if you did not know Mt. Cook/Aoraki was there you would not know it existed. Fortunately for us, the icy blue glacial water of Lake Pukaki was highlighted by the sun in the foreground. Before we departed we satisfied a sweet tooth craving with a raspberry ice slushy for Hayley and a cola one for me.
Back on the road for about an hour Hayley dosed back off to sleep while I checked off kilometer after kilometer of more beautiful scenery; traversing over mountain passes, through tree lined farm land and along lake and river shores. I woke Hayley when I parked at a place called The Tin Shed, home to natural New Zealand products. We did a little bit of browsing and shopping here with a five percent discount voucher we received from our host this morning. One thing we picked up was a bag of some delicious jelly beans in support of the Children’s Cancer Association. As we continued on our way our taste buds danced to the delightful flavors of the jelly beans.
Crossing the bridge into Ashburton we stopped to visit some friends of our Queenstown hosts at the Bernina Sewing Center. Here we picked up some fabric and scrapbooking materials. We mentioned we were sent by Neil at the Coronet View in Queenstown. She was happy to hear he and his wife were doing well and said she needed to make a trip up to visit them.
After having a quick bite to eat we set out again. With a slight wrong turn and twenty kilometers out of the way and back we were on track for Methven. Arriving at the Bendale Farm Bed & Breakfast we unloaded the car and relaxed. Our hosts, Jean and Michael, provided us with a bottle of Sparkling Rose on ice to congratulate us on our honeymoon. Jean also corresponded for us with our homestay family for tomorrow night, confirming our estimated arrival time and directions to their location. While discussing the beautiful weather we had been having I joked how the thirty-plus degrees we had been having the past three days was far different than the thirty-plus degrees back home in the States. Talking with Jean reminded me of my Grammy Gee, except Jean is not a Red Sox fan, she’s a big rugby fan.
With an early dinner we retired to our room, drank the Sparkling Rose and watched some television before journaling, reading and ipoding. In other words, we have been taking it easy.
Cheers,
Bob and Hayley
Aoraki – 06 January 2008
Today was to be an uneventful travel day from Te Anau to Twizel. With our self cooked breakfast in our tummies, clean dishes in the drying rack, and our personal belongings loaded in the car we set out for a projected five and a half hours driving time trip. Now of course we knew we were not going to drive straight through. The first two hours we would be backtracking our way to Queenstown. An hour into it Hayley fell asleep, short morning she had, but it was okay because she had already seen the roadsides here, sort of. That is if she saw it on the way down while finishing up her journal entry a couple of days ago.
In Foxton, just east of Queenstown I woke Hayley up when we stopped to refuel the car. Not knowing the landscape and the size and distance between towns along our route I did not want any low fuel surprises. As we ventured into uncharted territory for us Hayley would stay awake the rest of the day.
Driving along the Kawarau River, another popular river to white-water raft in the Queenstown area, we were dazzled by the swimming pool blue-like waters of the river. When we reached a safe spot to pull over and take pictures we did. After two self-made photo stops along the river, including one where we scaled down dirt path and over rocks, we came along a marked lookout spot at the Roaring Meg Rapids. With numerous other tourists stopped here we had one take our picture in front of Roaring Meg. As we were about to leave we could hear a kayaker, without her kayak, screaming for help as she fought to swim toward a shoreline. Another kayaker on the embankment tried to throw her a rope, but that did not work as it pulled him into the water as well. As the troubled kayaker continued down river, the one pulled in swam back to shore and got his kayak. From our vantage point, he was able to catch up to her just as they went out of sight. We tried to make additional stops down river to see if there was anything we could do and help, however we could not gain access to the river in spots we thought they may have ended up. Several kilometers down river we managed to stop and get to a common finishing spot. After close to a half hour wait there we determined and hoped that they had stopped further up river. We are still worried and wish we knew how to find out if she is okay.
With a photo stop at the top of Lindis Pass we miscalculated the time to our targeted food stop in Tarras. It actually was more of a miscalculation of the size of Tarras, as the town pretty much consisted from what we could see of a Shell petrol station, a golf course and a war memorial. It seemed to be one building bigger than Bill, Wyoming. When we realized there was no more to the town we decided to continue on rather than turning around to get food. The downside of continuing on is it was nearly another hour before lunch now because of the missed stop. Wanting a sit-down meal we had to settle on a vineyard café in Omarama, as they were the only place with a sit-down option.
A half hour after lunch we arrived at the Lake Ruataniwha Homestay located in Twizel. Our hosts were out for a going away gathering and had left a note for us on the door apologizing for them not being there to greet us. This was okay with us because we were on a mission to drive another hour and get close with Mt. Cook/Aoraki tonight. The forecast is for rain tonight and tomorrow resulting in poor to no visibility of Mt. Cook’s/Aoraki’s peaks. We have already wrangled with the clouded peaks back when we went to Lake Matheson near the Fox Glacier Village, we did not want to do it again. With our homestay hosts not around we unpacked the car and moved along. Driving along Lake Pukaki to get there we stopped numerous times for some quick snapshots, each time playing with the different foreground elements we had to create various different looks with the same key subject. Reaching the base village we parked at the Sir Edmund Hilary Alpine Centre and took a twenty minute trek uphill along the Glencoe Track to the view point overlooking the village below. It also provided a spectacular, unobstructed view of Mt. Cook/Aoraki, along with a new set of foreground elements.
With clouds rolling over the mountain tops above us we felt satisfied with our shots and decided to head back to Twizel for dinner. Unsure of what we might find we kept our fingers crossed, since it was Sunday and nearly 9pm. We located the mall in the town centre and found a place called Shawty’s where we managed to get in right before closing time. Sitting outside we enjoyed the sounds of children playing on the playground and watched the sky slowly get darker.
With the sun finally going to bed about 10pm we returned to our Homestay for the evening, the rooms are among the bigger ones we’ve had here on tour in New Zealand. It is decorated in a light blue that gives me the sense of being in a seaside cottage or resort, not on a lake at the base of a mountain chain. Hayley loves the REAL towels here, but is not happy to report there are only two television channels. As it turns out, New Zealand only has three over-the-air channels, the rest are on satellite
For a day of driving we did a lot of physical activity hiking to capture our souvenir images of New Zealand. We are very proud to be able to bring these images back home and share them with you all.
Cheer to all,
Bob and Hayley
In Foxton, just east of Queenstown I woke Hayley up when we stopped to refuel the car. Not knowing the landscape and the size and distance between towns along our route I did not want any low fuel surprises. As we ventured into uncharted territory for us Hayley would stay awake the rest of the day.
Driving along the Kawarau River, another popular river to white-water raft in the Queenstown area, we were dazzled by the swimming pool blue-like waters of the river. When we reached a safe spot to pull over and take pictures we did. After two self-made photo stops along the river, including one where we scaled down dirt path and over rocks, we came along a marked lookout spot at the Roaring Meg Rapids. With numerous other tourists stopped here we had one take our picture in front of Roaring Meg. As we were about to leave we could hear a kayaker, without her kayak, screaming for help as she fought to swim toward a shoreline. Another kayaker on the embankment tried to throw her a rope, but that did not work as it pulled him into the water as well. As the troubled kayaker continued down river, the one pulled in swam back to shore and got his kayak. From our vantage point, he was able to catch up to her just as they went out of sight. We tried to make additional stops down river to see if there was anything we could do and help, however we could not gain access to the river in spots we thought they may have ended up. Several kilometers down river we managed to stop and get to a common finishing spot. After close to a half hour wait there we determined and hoped that they had stopped further up river. We are still worried and wish we knew how to find out if she is okay.
With a photo stop at the top of Lindis Pass we miscalculated the time to our targeted food stop in Tarras. It actually was more of a miscalculation of the size of Tarras, as the town pretty much consisted from what we could see of a Shell petrol station, a golf course and a war memorial. It seemed to be one building bigger than Bill, Wyoming. When we realized there was no more to the town we decided to continue on rather than turning around to get food. The downside of continuing on is it was nearly another hour before lunch now because of the missed stop. Wanting a sit-down meal we had to settle on a vineyard café in Omarama, as they were the only place with a sit-down option.
A half hour after lunch we arrived at the Lake Ruataniwha Homestay located in Twizel. Our hosts were out for a going away gathering and had left a note for us on the door apologizing for them not being there to greet us. This was okay with us because we were on a mission to drive another hour and get close with Mt. Cook/Aoraki tonight. The forecast is for rain tonight and tomorrow resulting in poor to no visibility of Mt. Cook’s/Aoraki’s peaks. We have already wrangled with the clouded peaks back when we went to Lake Matheson near the Fox Glacier Village, we did not want to do it again. With our homestay hosts not around we unpacked the car and moved along. Driving along Lake Pukaki to get there we stopped numerous times for some quick snapshots, each time playing with the different foreground elements we had to create various different looks with the same key subject. Reaching the base village we parked at the Sir Edmund Hilary Alpine Centre and took a twenty minute trek uphill along the Glencoe Track to the view point overlooking the village below. It also provided a spectacular, unobstructed view of Mt. Cook/Aoraki, along with a new set of foreground elements.
With clouds rolling over the mountain tops above us we felt satisfied with our shots and decided to head back to Twizel for dinner. Unsure of what we might find we kept our fingers crossed, since it was Sunday and nearly 9pm. We located the mall in the town centre and found a place called Shawty’s where we managed to get in right before closing time. Sitting outside we enjoyed the sounds of children playing on the playground and watched the sky slowly get darker.
With the sun finally going to bed about 10pm we returned to our Homestay for the evening, the rooms are among the bigger ones we’ve had here on tour in New Zealand. It is decorated in a light blue that gives me the sense of being in a seaside cottage or resort, not on a lake at the base of a mountain chain. Hayley loves the REAL towels here, but is not happy to report there are only two television channels. As it turns out, New Zealand only has three over-the-air channels, the rest are on satellite
For a day of driving we did a lot of physical activity hiking to capture our souvenir images of New Zealand. We are very proud to be able to bring these images back home and share them with you all.
Cheer to all,
Bob and Hayley
Doubtful Sound of Silence – 05 January 2008
Waking up to the engines firing up this morning was a welcome in disguise. I say that because as Hayley began to wake I went out on deck to take in some of the beauty of the undisturbed landscape. Not wanting Hayley to miss out on the breathtaking images I captured a few quick shots with my camera. Upon my return to our cabin Hayley was ready for breakfast. Occasionally, while eating breakfast I would pounce to the stern of the Navigator for more gorgeousness. Satisfied with one morning offering, breakfast, I made my way outside with a cup of coffee to enjoy another offering, nature. Aside from the ship’s engines it was a sanctuary of peace.
As we slowly cruised our way around the calm waters of the morning Sound we made our way to the secluded waters at the far reaches of the Hall Arm. It was here the crew of the Navigator put out a request for the entire ship to take part in. We were all asked to turn off any electronical devices; cell phones (which were not working anyway because we were so remotely removed from any reception), video cameras, still cameras, ipods, game boys, etc. In turn, the Navigator would turn off all engines and non-essential equipment. In addition, we were asked to find a place on deck with our choice of a great view. For the next fifteen minutes we were to stay put, remaining silent, not conversing with anyone and just soak in the Sound the way it was meant to be. It was an opportunity of a lifetime, as there will be very few opportunities in today’s world when one can have total silence like this. Being able to hear every bird call, every splash of water cascading down the fiord waterfalls, every leaf rustle in the breeze was just truly amazing. It was a moment that put all troubles, worries, and worlds out of my mind. With Hayley alongside me I felt like I was in Heaven, until the silence was broken. Not by the engines coming back to life, but rather by a few on board tortfeasors that just could not stay put and felt the NEED to talk. When there is total silence the sound of a foot hitting the iron decks of a ship are amplified even louder. Even a whispering conversation sounds more like normal speech. The last half of our fifteen minutes of silence I was stewing because these people ruined my peace. I felt like I was back in Kennebunkport on Wedding Weekend Saturday when my spa appointment got all messed up and the stresses relieved by the massage came back when I became aware of the Spa’s poor timing.
When the engines fired to life I got over the tortfeasors rather quickly. One of the crew members put out an invite to have us join them in the saloon for a sampling of New Zealand crayfish. The smile on Hayley’s face at the thought of getting to sample it carried her in a flash to the saloon faster than the crayfish. One of last night’s crayfish managed to survive a few extra hours until after breakfast this morning when it met its fate, the waiting taste buds of the guests on board served up on toothpicks. In comparing it to a Maine lobster we would say it was slightly saltier, yet not quite as sweet. Nonetheless, it was very delicious.
Although our day had really only begun time-wise when we got back to the wharf at Deep Cove our day was pretty much over. We both took the opportunity to dose on the bus ride back over the Wilmot Pass. With a full memory chip in my camera already from four hours of photos this morning on the Sound I downloaded them to the computer while on the boat crossing Lake Manapouri. Following our motor coach ride back to the Antler Lodge in Te Anau we went to the town centre for a not-so-good bite to eat at The Ranch. The service was not good either, as our tag team of waitresses failed to order my appetizer, I mean my entrée.
After lunch we made a quick stop back at the Lodge to plug in the laptop to charge the battery since I drained the batter while on the Navigator and this morning downloading photos. We then made a short drive south of town toward Manapouri all for the purpose of a single photo. I noticed yesterday while on the Real Journeys bus a sign that just cracked me up and I had to capture it. The sign read “Horse Poo $1 / bag.” And the O’s in poo were made up as the eyes of a smiley face. With laughter rolling our bellies we settled them with some ice cream back in town.
Following a return to the Antler Lodge to pick up the laptop we went to a different internet café where I could use my own laptop. For the next hour and a half Hayley would check emails and surf the net while I remained busy finally posting six days worth of journals to the wedding website and some photos to my FaceBook account. I stopped when the battery alert came up on the laptop signifying I only had about five more minutes.
Back at the lodge I took a nap while Hayley read the paper and watched the local 6pm news. Rested up we went back out for dinner around 7pm to La Toscana. We were very pleased with them two nights ago, we wanted to return. The staff remembered us and asked us how our trip was, that was comforting. Not wanting to take the table by the door and wanting a booth we waited about twenty minutes. Getting hungry we took the first one that became available. It felt like we were in timeout because the table we got had a booth seat on one side and a wall on the other. It was okay though because we got to sit next to each other and not across the table from one another.
After eating the best pizza we have had in New Zealand we returned to the Antler Lodge. With Hayley watching House on her ipod I have been busy recharging all our batteries.
Cheers to all,
Bob and Hayley
Musical Tunes Stuck In Our Heads:
· The Little Drummer Boy
· Rock and Roll All Night – Kiss (DJ Pat, we are thinking of you)
· Titanic Suite – James Horner, if I recall correctly (the part where Leo DeCaprio is at the front of the boat shouting “I’m the king of the world!”
· Gettin’ Jiggy With It – Will Smith
· Footloose – Kenny Loggins (we heard this twice on New Year’s Eve in Wanaka and then saw the video today at lunch).
As we slowly cruised our way around the calm waters of the morning Sound we made our way to the secluded waters at the far reaches of the Hall Arm. It was here the crew of the Navigator put out a request for the entire ship to take part in. We were all asked to turn off any electronical devices; cell phones (which were not working anyway because we were so remotely removed from any reception), video cameras, still cameras, ipods, game boys, etc. In turn, the Navigator would turn off all engines and non-essential equipment. In addition, we were asked to find a place on deck with our choice of a great view. For the next fifteen minutes we were to stay put, remaining silent, not conversing with anyone and just soak in the Sound the way it was meant to be. It was an opportunity of a lifetime, as there will be very few opportunities in today’s world when one can have total silence like this. Being able to hear every bird call, every splash of water cascading down the fiord waterfalls, every leaf rustle in the breeze was just truly amazing. It was a moment that put all troubles, worries, and worlds out of my mind. With Hayley alongside me I felt like I was in Heaven, until the silence was broken. Not by the engines coming back to life, but rather by a few on board tortfeasors that just could not stay put and felt the NEED to talk. When there is total silence the sound of a foot hitting the iron decks of a ship are amplified even louder. Even a whispering conversation sounds more like normal speech. The last half of our fifteen minutes of silence I was stewing because these people ruined my peace. I felt like I was back in Kennebunkport on Wedding Weekend Saturday when my spa appointment got all messed up and the stresses relieved by the massage came back when I became aware of the Spa’s poor timing.
When the engines fired to life I got over the tortfeasors rather quickly. One of the crew members put out an invite to have us join them in the saloon for a sampling of New Zealand crayfish. The smile on Hayley’s face at the thought of getting to sample it carried her in a flash to the saloon faster than the crayfish. One of last night’s crayfish managed to survive a few extra hours until after breakfast this morning when it met its fate, the waiting taste buds of the guests on board served up on toothpicks. In comparing it to a Maine lobster we would say it was slightly saltier, yet not quite as sweet. Nonetheless, it was very delicious.
Although our day had really only begun time-wise when we got back to the wharf at Deep Cove our day was pretty much over. We both took the opportunity to dose on the bus ride back over the Wilmot Pass. With a full memory chip in my camera already from four hours of photos this morning on the Sound I downloaded them to the computer while on the boat crossing Lake Manapouri. Following our motor coach ride back to the Antler Lodge in Te Anau we went to the town centre for a not-so-good bite to eat at The Ranch. The service was not good either, as our tag team of waitresses failed to order my appetizer, I mean my entrée.
After lunch we made a quick stop back at the Lodge to plug in the laptop to charge the battery since I drained the batter while on the Navigator and this morning downloading photos. We then made a short drive south of town toward Manapouri all for the purpose of a single photo. I noticed yesterday while on the Real Journeys bus a sign that just cracked me up and I had to capture it. The sign read “Horse Poo $1 / bag.” And the O’s in poo were made up as the eyes of a smiley face. With laughter rolling our bellies we settled them with some ice cream back in town.
Following a return to the Antler Lodge to pick up the laptop we went to a different internet café where I could use my own laptop. For the next hour and a half Hayley would check emails and surf the net while I remained busy finally posting six days worth of journals to the wedding website and some photos to my FaceBook account. I stopped when the battery alert came up on the laptop signifying I only had about five more minutes.
Back at the lodge I took a nap while Hayley read the paper and watched the local 6pm news. Rested up we went back out for dinner around 7pm to La Toscana. We were very pleased with them two nights ago, we wanted to return. The staff remembered us and asked us how our trip was, that was comforting. Not wanting to take the table by the door and wanting a booth we waited about twenty minutes. Getting hungry we took the first one that became available. It felt like we were in timeout because the table we got had a booth seat on one side and a wall on the other. It was okay though because we got to sit next to each other and not across the table from one another.
After eating the best pizza we have had in New Zealand we returned to the Antler Lodge. With Hayley watching House on her ipod I have been busy recharging all our batteries.
Cheers to all,
Bob and Hayley
Musical Tunes Stuck In Our Heads:
· The Little Drummer Boy
· Rock and Roll All Night – Kiss (DJ Pat, we are thinking of you)
· Titanic Suite – James Horner, if I recall correctly (the part where Leo DeCaprio is at the front of the boat shouting “I’m the king of the world!”
· Gettin’ Jiggy With It – Will Smith
· Footloose – Kenny Loggins (we heard this twice on New Year’s Eve in Wanaka and then saw the video today at lunch).
At Fiords’ End…and Back Again – 04 January 2008
Oh what a beautiful morning,
Oh what a beautiful day.
Hayley and I got to sleep in,
And she got to make her own eggs.
Oh what a beautiful day!
Can I say we love the Antler Lodge Bed & Breakfast? If I haven’t said it already, we love it here. A great bed for sleep, make your own hot breakfast, and best of all, they will watch over our rental car while we are on our Real Journeys overnight cruise on Doubtful Sound. With our bags packed in the car, except for an overnight bag, the breakfast dishes I washed drying in the rack, I handed over our room and car keys to our host Helen. Hayley and I then walked to the end of the driveway to await our bus for Doubtful Sound. While standing at the end of the drive with my backpack on I had flashbacks to when I was a kid waiting for the school bus, kicking rocks around to pass the time. It was great. At 1130am, right on the scheduled nose, the bus pulled around the corner.
Following our twenty minute ride down to Manapouri, not too far from where some of the “Dead Marshes” scenes were shot for LOTR, we exchanged our voucher for boarding cards and awaited our first boat to cross Lake Manapouri. While waiting we were graced with the sound of a teenage girl playing the bagpipes for any change people wished to throw her way. At first it was cool, then it became annoying, mainly because she could not hold a tune and she kept stopping and starting.
Putting an end to the bagpipes we boarded one of two boats that took us across Lake Manapouri, to where an hour boat ride later we arrived and boarded two motor coaches. In the comfort of our motor coach seats spent another hour traversing up one side and down another of the Wilmot Pass, stopping at one point for a photo opportunity high above Doubtful Sound. The road we traveled on Wilmot Pass is often referred to as the most expensive road in New Zealand. The twenty-two kilometer road was built back in the 1960s at a cost of two dollars per centimeter. The purpose of the road was to bring in building supplies and necessary equipment for an underwater power station set up where we first loaded onto the motor coaches.
Having completed the Wilmot Pass we boarded the Fiordland Navigator, our home nearly the next twenty hours. We assembled in the saloon (dining hall) and were given a safety briefing. One of the safety issues demonstrated was how to put on our life jackets in the event of an emergency. We were told that in the event we forget the demonstration “there are instructions on the life jacket itself and there are pictures for the Australians.” We were also introduced to the staff. For you Love Boat fans, our bartender was named Isaac, however he looked more like Doc. Our Julie and Gopher were Jayne and Ben. After depositing our overnight bag in our cabin our journey on Doubtful Sound was underway. Doubtful Sound, by the way, is actually not a sound, but rather a fiord. It was incorrectly named by the English when first discovered because the word fiord did not exist in the English language at the time, silly English people. Weather-wise, we made out like bandits. Typically, Doubtful Sound receives rain two out of every three days throughout the year. In store for us today was a beautifully blue sky, no clouds whatsoever. Making our way along the open decks, Hayley and I began to go crazy taking pictures and video, before stopping in the dining hall to find complimentary, fresh-baked muffins.
By mid-afternoon the Navigator came to a stop, lowered some small motor boats and took us out around the sound. This gave us an opportunity to get up close with nature along the shore line embankments and ask questions in smaller groups. For some, the motor boats were not enough fitness so they opted for the kayaking. Even still, that was not enough for some. Others decided to take a dip in the eleven degree temperature water. There many shocked and exhilarated faces. They really appeared to have enjoyed themselves. With everyone back on board we gathered in the dining room for some hot soup to warm up.
Making our way to the mouth of the Sound while Hayley and I were on the Observation Deck at the front of the ship, a big wave hit the bow and sent a giant spray of sea water up and over the railings. The mad scramble of people was evidence many got soaked. This included Hayley, me, and our cameras. For the second day in a row I was dashing for the bar, not for a drink, but for napkins to wipe the camera clean, the only thing worse than the fresh water of yesterday’s splash is today’s sea water splash. With the taste of sea salt still fresh in our mouths we cleaned our cameras and made our way back up top. Looking west to the Tasman Sea it appeared from our vantage point we were heading for the edge of the world and going to fall off, because as all of us explorers know, the world is flat. Upon greeting the Tasman Sea we spied some sea lions basking in the sun on some rocks.
When we turned back inland Hayley burst into song with “Heave, ho, all together. Hoist the colors high….” As she sang the three sails began to unfurl and catch the wind. With a few tacks back and forth along the waterway we located a sheltered arm of the Sound for us to dine. While making our way below deck the canvas was drawn in.
After dinner we made our way back out on deck to catch the last few glimpses of the sunset on the fiord peaks. While drifting toward our anchor point for the evening we came across a local fisherman. In response to my question if he had caught anything he reached into a yellow bucket and pulled out two very large crayfish, New Zealand rock lobsters. Moments later, the crayfish were on board our vessel, our crew traded some cheesecake for the crayfish. People gathered at the back of the ship to get a look and a photo of the crustaceans. Little did they know they were getting a honeymooner in their photos too. This was due to me, the Maine boy, not being afraid to stick my hand in and hold the spiny-shelled critter of the sea. One thing that made this crayfish different from a Maine lobster is it does not have the big front claws like those on the Maine lobster.
At nearly 10:30pm the last glimmer of light finally went away. Before Hayley and I would call it a night we made our way to the top deck of the Navigator, where there was minimal light, and we just sat there in peace gazing at the stars. Away from all the city lights it is amazing how many more stars you can see. I had the sudden urge to make the jump to light speed and have all those stars come whooshing towards us, but the Navigator’s technology was not that advanced. Oh well.
Retiring to our room to go to sleep I felt like I was stepping into the bedroom of Rob and Laura Petrie on The Dick Van Dyke Show. There were two single beds in the room, one on the left, one on the right. Now that I have caught up with the day it is time for sleep. The main engines will be playing reveille about 630am warning us of a half hour to breakfast.
Cheers,
Bob and Hayley
Food Facts:
· Ranch dressing does not exist here in New Zealand
· Ordering ketchup will get you tomato sauce
· Water is served up in a wine bottle-like jug and an empty glass
· The Road Kill Café serves up possum, not skunk here
Oh what a beautiful day.
Hayley and I got to sleep in,
And she got to make her own eggs.
Oh what a beautiful day!
Can I say we love the Antler Lodge Bed & Breakfast? If I haven’t said it already, we love it here. A great bed for sleep, make your own hot breakfast, and best of all, they will watch over our rental car while we are on our Real Journeys overnight cruise on Doubtful Sound. With our bags packed in the car, except for an overnight bag, the breakfast dishes I washed drying in the rack, I handed over our room and car keys to our host Helen. Hayley and I then walked to the end of the driveway to await our bus for Doubtful Sound. While standing at the end of the drive with my backpack on I had flashbacks to when I was a kid waiting for the school bus, kicking rocks around to pass the time. It was great. At 1130am, right on the scheduled nose, the bus pulled around the corner.
Following our twenty minute ride down to Manapouri, not too far from where some of the “Dead Marshes” scenes were shot for LOTR, we exchanged our voucher for boarding cards and awaited our first boat to cross Lake Manapouri. While waiting we were graced with the sound of a teenage girl playing the bagpipes for any change people wished to throw her way. At first it was cool, then it became annoying, mainly because she could not hold a tune and she kept stopping and starting.
Putting an end to the bagpipes we boarded one of two boats that took us across Lake Manapouri, to where an hour boat ride later we arrived and boarded two motor coaches. In the comfort of our motor coach seats spent another hour traversing up one side and down another of the Wilmot Pass, stopping at one point for a photo opportunity high above Doubtful Sound. The road we traveled on Wilmot Pass is often referred to as the most expensive road in New Zealand. The twenty-two kilometer road was built back in the 1960s at a cost of two dollars per centimeter. The purpose of the road was to bring in building supplies and necessary equipment for an underwater power station set up where we first loaded onto the motor coaches.
Having completed the Wilmot Pass we boarded the Fiordland Navigator, our home nearly the next twenty hours. We assembled in the saloon (dining hall) and were given a safety briefing. One of the safety issues demonstrated was how to put on our life jackets in the event of an emergency. We were told that in the event we forget the demonstration “there are instructions on the life jacket itself and there are pictures for the Australians.” We were also introduced to the staff. For you Love Boat fans, our bartender was named Isaac, however he looked more like Doc. Our Julie and Gopher were Jayne and Ben. After depositing our overnight bag in our cabin our journey on Doubtful Sound was underway. Doubtful Sound, by the way, is actually not a sound, but rather a fiord. It was incorrectly named by the English when first discovered because the word fiord did not exist in the English language at the time, silly English people. Weather-wise, we made out like bandits. Typically, Doubtful Sound receives rain two out of every three days throughout the year. In store for us today was a beautifully blue sky, no clouds whatsoever. Making our way along the open decks, Hayley and I began to go crazy taking pictures and video, before stopping in the dining hall to find complimentary, fresh-baked muffins.
By mid-afternoon the Navigator came to a stop, lowered some small motor boats and took us out around the sound. This gave us an opportunity to get up close with nature along the shore line embankments and ask questions in smaller groups. For some, the motor boats were not enough fitness so they opted for the kayaking. Even still, that was not enough for some. Others decided to take a dip in the eleven degree temperature water. There many shocked and exhilarated faces. They really appeared to have enjoyed themselves. With everyone back on board we gathered in the dining room for some hot soup to warm up.
Making our way to the mouth of the Sound while Hayley and I were on the Observation Deck at the front of the ship, a big wave hit the bow and sent a giant spray of sea water up and over the railings. The mad scramble of people was evidence many got soaked. This included Hayley, me, and our cameras. For the second day in a row I was dashing for the bar, not for a drink, but for napkins to wipe the camera clean, the only thing worse than the fresh water of yesterday’s splash is today’s sea water splash. With the taste of sea salt still fresh in our mouths we cleaned our cameras and made our way back up top. Looking west to the Tasman Sea it appeared from our vantage point we were heading for the edge of the world and going to fall off, because as all of us explorers know, the world is flat. Upon greeting the Tasman Sea we spied some sea lions basking in the sun on some rocks.
When we turned back inland Hayley burst into song with “Heave, ho, all together. Hoist the colors high….” As she sang the three sails began to unfurl and catch the wind. With a few tacks back and forth along the waterway we located a sheltered arm of the Sound for us to dine. While making our way below deck the canvas was drawn in.
After dinner we made our way back out on deck to catch the last few glimpses of the sunset on the fiord peaks. While drifting toward our anchor point for the evening we came across a local fisherman. In response to my question if he had caught anything he reached into a yellow bucket and pulled out two very large crayfish, New Zealand rock lobsters. Moments later, the crayfish were on board our vessel, our crew traded some cheesecake for the crayfish. People gathered at the back of the ship to get a look and a photo of the crustaceans. Little did they know they were getting a honeymooner in their photos too. This was due to me, the Maine boy, not being afraid to stick my hand in and hold the spiny-shelled critter of the sea. One thing that made this crayfish different from a Maine lobster is it does not have the big front claws like those on the Maine lobster.
At nearly 10:30pm the last glimmer of light finally went away. Before Hayley and I would call it a night we made our way to the top deck of the Navigator, where there was minimal light, and we just sat there in peace gazing at the stars. Away from all the city lights it is amazing how many more stars you can see. I had the sudden urge to make the jump to light speed and have all those stars come whooshing towards us, but the Navigator’s technology was not that advanced. Oh well.
Retiring to our room to go to sleep I felt like I was stepping into the bedroom of Rob and Laura Petrie on The Dick Van Dyke Show. There were two single beds in the room, one on the left, one on the right. Now that I have caught up with the day it is time for sleep. The main engines will be playing reveille about 630am warning us of a half hour to breakfast.
Cheers,
Bob and Hayley
Food Facts:
· Ranch dressing does not exist here in New Zealand
· Ordering ketchup will get you tomato sauce
· Water is served up in a wine bottle-like jug and an empty glass
· The Road Kill Café serves up possum, not skunk here
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