Arrowtown, Queenstown, NZ

Next we moved to a B&B in Arrowtown, sort of a NZ version of Vail, CO, and originally a gold rush encampment. This morning we shared breakfast with couples from England, Netherlands, and Australia.  It creates quite a diverse conversation. We gained information on local attractions as well as information in preparation for our visit to Australia.  We have electric bicycles reserved for a day and jet boat river canyon ride reservations for later in the week.  Today we did a five-mile hike, toured a gold camp preservation, and bought groceries. Generally when traveling, we have a good B&B breakfast and have one grocery store meal (bread, luncheon meat, fruit) and one restaurant meal during the afternoon/ evening.

Lake Hayes, near Arrowtown.  A walk around the lake takes a solid two hours and includes great scenery.

Looking north, from a mountain road to the Remarkables ski area, to Lake Hayes and Arrowtown NE of the lake.  In winter, the ski slopes begin only a few thousand feet above the lake level.

We rented bikes and rode trails down the Arrow River; this is Dawn crossing a pedestrian bridge.

  Unhooking a bungy jumper.  We could have watched all day as people, tourists from all over the world, continuously stepped over the edge of the bridge.  This "sport" is not cheap, but also attracts a large crowd of spectators (which is free).  Restaurant and bathrooms available.

Coming from Arrowtown towards Queenstown (about ten miles apart); the Coronet Peak Skifield is just behind us.

Our B&B in Arrowtown is the perfect location. Easy walking distance to stores, restaurants, attractions, and the river.  Lake Hayes is on the edge of Arrowtown; we hiked around the lake enjoying the early Fall scenery while getting some exercise. Yesterday we rented e-bikes and rode for six hours following a scenic river valley.  We stopped at the famous bungy-jumping bridge on the Arrow River and watched for a while.  Seemed like many more females than males jumped, also watched a couple jump together. Then we rode on down the valley, past a series of wineries, until we stopped at a small restaurant, converted from a church, for an outdoor meal.  At times the bike trail followed near the edge of the deep river canyon: no time to get distracted and make a wrong turn. The e-bike assist came in handy when returning uphill and against the wind.

 Jet boating on the Shotover River.  Another expensive pastime which takes no talent but is fun.  These boats have 700 hp and can go over 50 mph.  They have almost a flat bottom and can maneuver quickly including a 360 degree spin.  Yes, we participated.

Jet boating on the Shotover River was very exciting, a true thrill ride, but also an expensive form of entertainment.  I prefer activities that require at least some skill and effort; like the biking and hiking we do.  Bungy jumping is also one of those activities that can be completed successfully by a sack of potatoes; they only need to weigh you to hook you up safely.  But can you do it?  Do you trust them?

Looking across Lake Wakatipu from Queenstown.  A very scenic area; the water really is that blue.

Looking west, past the airport at Frankton, toward Queenstown on the lake shore.  It was raining hard when we flew out later, and you had to walk to the airplane, even the ramp and luggage had no rain cover.  How ridiculous!

We ventured into Queenstown today: not a parking spot in sight and congested sidewalks. We drove right through and found a hiking spot along the lake.  We do have one night booked in Queenstown; rather expensive on the west end of town; it should be nice and include parking.  New Zealand in general is fairly expensive; more so than we have experienced in Europe. Perhaps it only seems that way because the US dollar has declined 10% in value since last Fall. Every outdoor activity can be experienced from Queenstown, but area is highly commercial, and you will need an ample budget for activities beyond hiking the tracks.

A telephoto view of Fjordland National Park as seen from north of Glenorchy.  It is said that many scenes from Lord of the Rings were filmed in this area.

Dawn wanted to get a picture of sheep with the mountains in the background, but the sheep refused to cooperate and moved away as she approached.  Perhaps if she paid them......

Te Anau & Milford

The town of Te Anau is located on  big, beautiful Lake Te Anau. The town is big enough to have all amenities, but small enough to not feel congested.  Our B&B is very near the beach and Park visitors' center. A walking trail, located near our accommodations, extends for many miles into the surrounding natural areas. Our hostess was from Chile, a very nice woman.  She came for a short stay.... eleven years ago.  We heard similar stories from others we met.

As you can see from the size of the boat, Lake Te Anau is a very large lake.  This beautiful boat, "Faith", was tied up to the dock at the end of main street Te Anau.

If you don't like the other picture, we found a real 'fixer upper" in a nearby yacht basin.

Te Anau is the gateway to Milford Sound. The drive to the Sound (actually a fjord) is 75 miles of narrow, winding road with no roadside services. In some places it is a single lane, including a single-lane unlined tunnel. Driving there, we encountered a recent accident; a vehicle gone over an embankment, standing on its nose, resting against some trees. On the way back, that crash had been cleared, but we encountered another accident where a vehicle had skidded across lanes, did a "180" slide, and laid on its side in the shrubbery.  The speed limit in most places is 100 kph (62 mph), but your common sense says that is too fast. Many tourists take that road. Could these accidents be the result of driving on the wrong side?  We are glad to be driving a smallish Toyota hatchback rather than one of the many camper vans.

View from the dock on Milford Sound.  Beautiful surroundings!

View looking inland from a tour boat on the fjord; rocky, steep mountains.

It had rained the night before our visit, and many waterfalls were cascading off the steep walls which could easily be 500' high.

Milford Sound is interesting, but our judgement was that it is not a "have to see" destination.  Some say Doubtful Sound is better, and, of course, if you visit Doubtful, then they will tell you about another fjord which is even more scenic.  I think it is a case of "one-up-manship". Towering sheer rock walls with many waterfalls but that can be seen in any area with fjords. We found other equally interesting sights at road pull offs along the route.

What are we looking at?  We are peering vertically into a deep crevice worn in the rock with a stream gushing through the gap below.

Kaikoura to Christchurch, NZ

The east coast of New Zealand near Kaikoura reminds me of the California coast between San Luis Obispo and Monterey; tall coastal headlands descending abruptly into a rocky but beautiful ocean shoreline.  However, 1 1/2 years ago a tremendous earthquake shook the area, raising the ocean floor and causing many tons of rock and soil to slide (or "slip"- the local term) crashing down to cover the coastal rail line and highway.  Suddenly the town of Kaikoura and surrounding areas were cut off from all normal transport.  Supplies were brought in by helicopter and ship, and tourists were taken out in similar fashion.  Today repairs to the coastal roads are still in process.

The coast near Kaikoura.  In places the highway was squeezed between the steep hillsides and the ocean.  When the earthquake happened in Nov. '16, the coastal highway was obliterated in places.

We stopped in a deserted park along the road for a picnic lunch.

When down swoops a helicopter very close to us; he lowered a probe into the water, presumably for water testing.  Then he up and flew off.

The town of Kaikoura is still recovering; lack of tourist traffic for almost a year caused accommodations and restaurants to close.  The crayfish and abalone habitat was destroyed (the seabed was raised by about 5 meters), affecting fisherman.  Aftershocks, and the threat of further major tremors remain. This is the coast we traveled yesterday. So much evidence of the "slips" and damage to be seen.  Many construction delays and stops for one-way traffic. But we met some interesting people.  Our hotel host, a native Australian, wanted to discuss US politics with us and seemed more knowledgeable of the subject than most Americans.  We met another couple, Ian and Gina, when we pulled off at a quiet park; Ian, a local hunter, wanted to understand US gun laws and compare the situation with NZ laws.  Such encounters make travel all the more rewarding.

At the botanic garden, Dawn next to a very large tree.  The garden is surrounded by a stream where kayaks, canoes, and punts pass by.

Our B&B in Christchurch was my worst accommodation choice.  Not that it was terrible; breakfast and the location were good, but the decor was very dark; the bathroom was small; and the bed was too soft.  While at Christchurch (a short stay) we went for a walk in their excellent Botanic Garden.  We love botanic gardens; so quiet, peaceful, beautiful,and with nice walking trails.  Christchurch suffered a major earthquake seven years ago and has not recovered.  It seems that buildings had been built on ground that soil surveys had noted were unstable.  All those buildings fell down and will not be rebuilt.  We also spent a day visiting Akaroa on Banks peninsula east of town. The area was created by a large, ancient volcanic cone of which one side collapsed creating a large bay surrounded by tall steep hillsides.  Very pretty.

It had rained in the morning, but was clearing when we arrived, leaving white, fluffy clouds covering the crests of the hills.  We ate lunch outside at a cafe in Akaroa overlooking the bay.  The village is a popular tourist spot. 

Abel Tasman National Park, NZ

We are the only guests staying at a B&B at Ruby Bay, near Abel Tasman Park.  The B&B is a vineyard; the entire region is full of vineyards, orchards, sheep pastures, and woods. Our hosts are from Hong Kong. The weather is such that we have breakfast on the patio outside our room, a very modern, well-kept wing of the home.  We discovered, on an evening walk, that a series of trails connect the entire neighborhood.  We met a neighbor last night who had lived in Santa Barbara, California, for 10 years while teaching geology at UCSB, which is where Dawn & I met and where I received my initial degree.

Dawn in the driveway of our Mapua B&B.  They also grow grapes, apples, and other fruit.  Many such orchards and vineyards are in the area.  We are only about half a mile from the coast.


We used this location to visit Abel Tasman National Park just NW of here. The park is a wilderness of towering heavily-forested headlands dropping off abruptly in places and revealing protected ocean beaches in other places, all of which are only accessible by hiking or boat.  Today we took a boat to a drop off point in Tonga Quarry bay, then hiked overland for 4.2 km. to Medlands Beach where we were picked up.  The hike included significant vertical gain walking through a multi-layered canopy of jungle-like plants including ferns growing 30-40 feet high. Perfect weather; how long will our luck last?

Looking down from a forested path to a beautiful bay in Abel Tasman park.

Bark Bay, Abel Tasman park. Substantial tide range and it is just starting to rise leaving wide sand beaches.

Split Apple Rock, just north of Kaiteriteri.  We needed to hike down from a cliff top to reach this beach; the other approach is by kayak.

We were hiking in a dark, overgrown canyon when we came across a group of these birds.  Due to the low lighting and zoomed lens, it was difficult to get a good picture before he scooted into the brush.  Kinda ugly but unique; they can't fly.

Looking down from Takaka Hill at the coast; what a beautiful area!  I could live happily here.

Travel in New Zealand is relatively easy. 1). The language is familiar. The perceived accent is relatively minor in most cases. We did meet a young man from central South Island whose pronunciation strained our comprehension, but that was exceptional. 2) The culture is familiar. Movies-music- TV fare get traded back and forth creating a common basis.  3) Credit cards are readily accepted making currency conversion a minor issue.  4) Driving is a significant change.  Not just right to left, but the complete absence of an equivalent to our Interstate highway system.  Mainly winding two-lane roads here.  Today, it took us five hours to travel about 170 miles.  With recent rains, a major tropical storm two months ago, and a major earthquake 1 1/2 years ago there are many large road repair projects in progress.

B&B insights

We have often favored B&Bs as a place to stay; more personalized than a hotel.  You can learn by interacting with your hosts.  We are currently staying with a Chinese family.  They come from Shanghai; moved here four years ago with neither of them speaking any English.  They had to give up a successful business designing and producing lingerie; let go their employees.  They came because their daughter was so sick from the pollution; she had been hospitalized several times.  They were told she could die.  So they moved to New Zealand on a trial basis. Their daughter has now completely recovered; participates in several sports, but she got sick again when they re-visited Shanghai.  Thus, the daughter cannot go back to China.  They are looking at colleges for her in the United States. Once the daughter leaves for college, the family will move back to Shanghai to take care of their elderly parents.

The family commitment is obvious; such commitment is common in Asian cultures.  Is that the reason for the high success rate of Asians?  Didn't we used to have greater family bonds in the U.S.?  Has our government and social media replaced family support?  Travel exposes us to such new situations and ideas.  Imagine moving to a new country, new language, new culture, and starting over.  That takes strong determined individuals.

We commented on the really high quality sheets on our bed at the B&B; so soft, smooth, and wrinkle free.  We asked if there was a website or store where we could buy such sheets.  Our hostess told us they were homemade locally.  Then when we were leaving, she gave us a gift of a new king-sized sheet and refused any payment.  Her comment was that life is about more than money.  What great people!  

Around Auckland, NZ

Our flight from Tahiti was wonderful; Air New Zealand has the most comfortable seats: reclining, adjustable head rests, extending foot supports with plenty of room.  A choice of wines and entrees, snacks & juices, satisfies your hunger, and entertainment choices are diverse with real head phones. Our bid for an upgrade to premium had been accepted and was appreciated.  But arrival was at 10pm; by the time we went through luggage, customs, and car rental, we arrived at our B&B near midnight by following GPS directions.

The B&B is brand new, six rooms (four of which are master suites) run by a Chinese woman (immigrated from China four years ago). Her family is renting the home, and she runs the B&B while her husband and two children are at work and school respectively.  The neighborhood is upscale: nice for us but not probably appreciated by neighbors.  Our room overlooks tidal Manukau bay.  All the shoreline is parkland with many miles of paved bicycle paths.  Our accommodation furnishes two bikes (both slightly undersized).  We explored for several hours on the bikes today (and every day). Beautiful scenery and the weather is perfect, 65-70 degrees with light breezes.  We did some local shopping this afternoon and encountered a real immigrant influence.  A food store had the seasonings, foods, smell, and personnel of India.  Another store featured the tastes and employees from China.  Walking down a street of many shops, each shop seemed to have its own culture.

Sunset over Manukau Bay.  Our B&B looked out directly on the Bay.  We loved bike riding along the well-maintained paths along its shore.

Manukau Bay shore.  The Bay is subject to large tidal changes and can have wide mud flats at times.

One Tree Hill.  This "hill" is in fact a small extinct volcano cone.  When we drove to the top. the temperature was notably cooler than below.  It provides a good view of surrounding areas.

Looking north from One Tree Hill towards Auckland.

The traffic congestion heading into downtown Auckland convinced us to explore elsewhere. Instead we enjoyed beautiful parklands at One Tree Hill, Cornwall Park, and the Auckland Botanic Garden.  One Tree Hill is an extinct volcanic cone rising high above its surroundings to provide excellent views of all Auckland.  Sheep graze on its slopes.  Cornwall Park, about 160 acres, adjoins and has many walking paths, trees, and meadows; very relaxing and scenic.  We arrived at the Botanic Garden in time for a guided walking tour of current attractions.  Our guide, Shelly made it very interesting, and we learned a new word "chocka", as in very crowded.

Auckland Botanic Gardens.  The area has a semi-tropical climate where almost any type of plant will grow.

On another day we headed southwest, west of Hamilton, to the classic surfer town of Raglan.  I don't think there is any stretch of straight road once west of Hamilton.  The speed limit may say 100 kph, but you don't want to go that fast.  On the way back we stopped at a nature preserve which had such lush, dense jungle that it seemed like something from the days when dinosaurs roamed the earth.

Surfers near Raglan.  It was mid-week, but the beach parking lot was full.

You walk a path through dense growth to get to this waterfall/ nature preserve. You can also stand at the top of the falls which are almost 200' high.

On our last day, we headed northeast to the Coromandel Peninsula.  The day became somewhat of a bust.  A recent strong storm had caused the coastal highway to washout.  Traffic was limited to a one-lane road in spots with flagmen and delays for opposing traffic.  Then it started to rain.  We stopped for lunch in the town of Thames.  It seemed like a very nice medium-sized town; small enough to have a main street where most businesses are located and people know each other.

A very wholesome-appearing town where life is still centered around a single main street.  We had lunch here in a cafe staffed by a group of elderly ladies.

Cruise from Tahiti

We flew from Denver to LA and then were told that my checked bag (all my clothes) were still in Denver.  They didn't know when it would arrive; perhaps after the cruise. Grabbing a taxi, we made a one-hour shopping trip to Kohl's to replace the missing items before flying on to Tahiti.  The absent bag showed up 4 days later in Bora Bora. Now I have an extra bag and wardrobe for the trip. I was able to get upgraded seats on our flight to Papeete and also a confirmed upgrade to Auckland.

A sunrise rainbow greeting us upon arrival in Papeete on the island of Tahiti.

Sunset over Moorea as seen looking west from Papeete.

At a private beach at Bora Bora.  We snorkeled off the beach to the left, but we were called back from the reef because it was an outing sponsored by our cruise line, and they had no lifeguard for that area!  (and were worried about liability).

The Paul Gauguin anchored inside the reef at Moorea; the ship carries about 330 passengers.  At each island we anchored and used the ship's launch to reach shore.

We rode e-bikes and walked the shores of Cook's Bay on Moorea.  You could see many types of fruit  growing wild in the trees and bushes along the roads.

This is the volcanic peak referred to as "Bali Hi" in the movie "South Pacific".  It is often cloud-shrouded and impressive; rising from the surrounding jungle.

I would recommend our Paul Gauguin cruise to anyone who enjoys the tropical ocean. We snorkeled almost every day; sometimes we would just walk on the beach until we found a good place to snorkel, and sometimes we would take a paid excursion on a boat to some outer reef. Flowing with the current through fantastic coral gardens on Taha'a was amazing. The ship and crew were perfect. We much prefer this smaller ship to those with thousands of passengers. I will have to wait to transfer photos from my underwater camera until we get home; no Bluetooth or SD card port. The barrier reef, clear blue lagoons, and lush mountain sides are picture perfect.

The profusion of coral, fish, and other sea life is amazing.  I took 90 photos and they only showed a small part of what is present.

Dawn floating through a coral garden.  This photo does not capture the variety of colors.  She wears a "rash guard" suit to prevent sunburn.

Great variety of fish, but they don't stand still for photos.  Coral is much easier to capture.

Disturb this animal and this brilliant filtering array withdraws completely within the coral shell.

A young, black-tipped shark; not as aggressive as its white-tipped cousin we are told.   In Panama they extolled their white-tipped sharks, so who do I believe?

 In places the coral was like a forest, providing hiding places for thousands of small fish.

This is certainly a colorful specimen.  Sorry, I couldn't get photos of more varieties.

Papeete is a bustling, expensive, crowded, very French, somewhat third-world city.  We are staying in an apartment over night; bought dinner at the local supermarket and brought it home to eat. No credit cards used; French Polynesian Francs used or perhaps the US dollar discounted. Don't allot extra time to stay in Papeete.  An outlying resort would be better.  Taking a taxi from the town to the airport (3-4 miles) took 1 1/2 hours due to traffic congestion.

Outrigger canoe racing is apparently a very popular sport in Tahiti.  We often saw them practicing out on the bay.  Our cruise line dock is in the background.

Heading for the South Pacific

In two weeks we will be headed out on our longest trip yet, to the South Pacific.  We fly to Papeete, Tahiti, where we spend two days in Papeete and ten days on a cruise through the Society Islands and Tuomotu Islands.  Next we fly to Auckland, NZ, and spend five nights on the North Island where we have rented a Corolla. From there we fly to Nelson on the South island where another Corolla awaits us. We spend six days on the north end of South island: Mapua, Kaikoura, & Christchurch; then fly to Queenstown to pick up another Corolla.  (Corollas just seem to be a common rental car.)  After seven nights in Te Anau, Arrowtown and Queenstown, we fly to Melbourne, AU, for three days; then on to Sydney for three days.  Finally, we take the really long flight to San Francisco and back to Denver.

With flu going around, we have managed to stay healthy so far.  I hope we can survive the initial flights.  From LAX to PPT we have a cheap red-eye flight. I have a dental CE meeting the previous day, so we can't go earlier.  The alternative was Air France at about twice the price.   Our cruise is all-inclusive and should be relaxing.  We are looking forward to some really great snorkeling.  Our flight from Papeete to Auckland may be stressful.  I bid on upgraded seats, and the bid was accepted.  We arrive in Auckland at 10pm, then have to get baggage, go through customs, call the car rental company, have them take us to an off-site location to rent the car, then find our way, driving on the wrong side of the road (left), to our B&B using GPS. It will be a late night.  Pray for us.  We will sleep in the next morning.

Our next seventeen days in New Zealand should be fairly relaxing; easy driving, mainly day trips, great scenery, some refreshing hikes and boat trips in the bays and fjords.  In southern South island, the expected weather will be high temperatures in low 50's F. degrees, lows about 40.  Thus, we need both warm and cool weather gear.  We plan on larger suitcases for this trip.  By now we are into April; real Fall weather in the southern hemisphere.

We fly directly from Queenstown to Melbourne, AU, on a flight connection that only flies a few days per week.  We arrive at 5pm on a Friday night at the airport and again, find our baggage, go through customs visa required, then make our way from terminal 2 to terminal 4, and take the Skybus (leaves every 30 minutes) for a hour-plus ride to a stop near our hotel.  The alternative is a very expensive taxi ride.  However, our hotel is one of the top-rated in the city and should provide a very comfortable stay for the next three days.  This will be mainly a city exploration.

From Melbourne, we take Tiger Air to Sydney.  Never heard of this airline before, and we have not received advanced e-tickets or seats, but the flight is only 1 1/2 hours.  The connection to our hotel should be fairly easy.  Another three days in Sydney; said by many to be one of the most beautiful cities on earth.  Another city exploration.  We are giving Australia lesser attention for two reasons. 1) It is such a big country that the long distances and many locations would require another month. 2) Meeting some Aussies on our last European trip, they immediately started telling us how beautiful New Zealand is..... not how beautiful Australia is, even though they come from Adelaide, Australian wine country.  That suggests to me that NZ has the better tourist sights.

Originally, I planned for us to stop in Hawaii or the Cook islands on our way home, to break up that long 13-14 hour flight.  But we have already been to Hawaii 6-7 times and a flight from Sydney stops in the Cook Islands only once per week.  If we landed, we would have to stay a whole week.  Our trip is already long enough, and we will have already spent twelve days in French Polynesia.  We used United Airlines frequent flier miles to book the trip home including upgraded seating.  We depart Sydney in the morning and arrive in Denver just over two hours later by the calendar (crossing the international dateline).

I doubt we will ever take another trip this long. 

Eastern Caribbean

I have mixed feelings for cruises.  1) You are always in a crowd; when you enter a port, 2000+ others arrive at the same time.  2) Someone else sets the schedule. On this trip, we have had about 8 hours at each island. Do you take a tour or go to the beach? You will not have time for both.  3) You are pampered like you are in assisted living; I am not ready for that yet. I can't believe how many obese, many morbidly obese, people are on board. Is it the 24 hour food availability?  It is depressing to see such grossness.  A crewmember complimented us on using the stairway because so few people do.

On the other hand:  1) You have the opportunity to meet some very interesting people from many backgrounds.  2) Cruises work well for scouting a variety of locations in a single uncomplicated trip. 3) You are well taken care of. Rely on your self discipline to avoid excesses. There is a fitness center, basketball court, and outdoor walking track (the pool is small and worthless).

We have visited St. Kitts- Nevis, Martinique, Antigua, Barbados, Grenada, and Puerto Rico.  On Martinique and Grenada we chose to go to a beach for snorkeling; not great snorkeling, but worthwhile. The island natives seem like sincerely nice people. Nobody tried to rip us off.  It is slightly depressing to see widespread poverty.  Looking at the yachts and estates of the wealthy reveals a dramatic difference. You start thinking about birth rates, culture, education, and opportunity.  Most agents will not accept credit cards, but US dollars are universally accepted.  Martinique is very French and uses the Euro.

Looking out over the small island of Nevis (where Alexander Hamilton was born).

The yacht harbor on Antigua which was a British naval base in sail ship days.

We took a ferry across the harbor, when we stopped in Martinique, to a more secluded beach.

On Grenada, we hired a taxi to take us to a beautiful shaded beach toward the south end of the island.  The snorkeling just offshore was fairly decent.

 Despite the recent hurricane, San Juan was a pleasant visit with an impressive fortress.

San Juan, Puerto Rico, is nicer than expected.  We are staying in a B&B in old San Juan, near San Juan Gate, with a canopied king bed, central courtyard, shuttered windows, and elegant carved furniture.  Last night we took a walk along the harbor front, watching the huge cruise ships depart, and exploring the many food and souvenir booths set up. Of course, Latin music played out over the street as we passed bars and restaurants. It was magical.