Queenstown

Kia ora (hello) again.

View of  Lake Wakatipu from Bob's Peak

After the spectacular beauty of Milford Sound yesterday, we had a long drive to Queenstown. We arrived late in the afternoon and we took a gondola ride to the top of Bob's Peak for a spectacular view of Lake Wakatipu, downtown Queensland and the surrounding mountains which include the Remarkables, the Eyre Mountains and the majestic Southern Alps.

The news with a view

Queenstown is a tourist destination. The city strives to be the "adventure capital of the world" offering a wide range of attractions and activities including hang gliding, speed boating, canoeing,  biking, hiking, snow skiing, and many more.

Because of its glacial beauty and variety of activities, Queenstown is one of New Zealand's fastest growing towns and one of its most expensive to live in.

TSS Earnslaw, known as the lady of the lake

The following morning we took to guided walk along Lake Wakatipu, a pure fresh water lake. The water is drinkable untreated but with a bit of fluoride. Our destination was the Queenstown dock where we boarded a historic steamer, the TSS Earnslaw, a 100 year old 1912 twin-screw steamship.

Sheep shearing demonstration

We took a short ride to the Walter Peak High Country Farm. There we saw a sheep sheering demonstration (fascinating), listened to a short presentation about the many types of sheep, and the different types of wool and their uses.

Although New Zealand has traditionally been the world's largest provider of lamb and wool, the market has decreased by nearly 50% since 1994. There is a growing demand for dairy products, especially in the Asian market, and a decreasing demand for wool products. Therefore, many farmers are converting from raising sheep to raising cattle.

Bess, a border collie mix, is a sheep dog.

Sheep are not native to New Zealand. The merino, the first sheep brought to the country, provides the finest and most expensive wool and is used in expensive jerseys and Italian suits.

The sheep shearing was followed by a demonstration of how the farmer partners with his sheep dogs to round up and control the sheep. Good sheep dogs can cost up to $12,000.

Walter Peak restaurant

After watching the shearing and sheep roundup, we had worked up quite an appetite. We retired to the deck of the Walter Peak restaurant for a delicious BBQ lunch while enjoying the beauty of Lake Wakatipu. The restaurant building is surrounded by non-native trees brought over by Europeans pining for the feel of home. The surrounding flower beds were just lovely.

View of Lake Wakatipu during lunch

Shortly after lunch, the TSS Earnslaw completed its round trip back to Queenstown with another load of passengers. It was our turn to reboard the ship for our return trip to the city.

Invercargill to Te Anau

New Zealand consists of a small island and two major islands, the North Island and the South Island, separated by Cook Strait. The first five days were spent on the North Island where we visited Auckland and Rotorua. This morning we caught a flight from Rotorua to Invercargill by way of Christchurch to begin our tour of the South Island.

Lunch awaited us

According to our guide, Invercargill is a small town and New Zealand's most southerly city. All restaurants large enough to accommodate a group of our size are closed on Sunday. So we were having lunch at the Salvation Army. All I could think of was peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. So I braced myself

to graciously accept the sandwiches and try to remember to say thank you.

A nice Sunday spread

Was I in for a surprise. The spread laid out for us included baked chicken, lamb, fresh vegetables, pasta salad, coffee, tea, cheese and crackers. Delicious. Better than some of the restaurant meals I'd eaten since arriving.

Lunch at the Salvation Army

All of the food was prepared by local ladies who support the Salvation Army. We were told that the group loves having Road Scholars, in part because the tour company pays the Salvation Army the same rates they pay to hotel restaurants. Their generous profits are used to support the organization's programs. And they were such nice people.

After lunch we had a wonderful lecture  by Michael Deaker, a local communications and educational consultant. He talked for approximately an hour about the geology, climate, history, and economy of the South Island and particularly the three regions we'll visit during our tour.

Sheep used to be king of the South Island

At the conclusion of our tour, we boarded the bus for a 2 1/2 hour ride to Te Anau where we would spend the night.  

Along the way we saw pasture after pasture of sheep, a major but decreasing part of NZ's economy. We also saw pastures of cattle and deer, both 
growing as an income stream for local farmers. The distant mountains were just beautiful.

Clean and green rolling countryside

Upon arrival at the Invercargill airport, we had met our South Island site guide. Along the way to Te Anau, she provided continuing commentary as we drove through Southland, New Zealand's southernmost province.  The views were spectacular and the guide provided even more details about the farming culture and landscape than we'd gotten from our lecture.

We arrived at our hotel in Te Anau in time for dinner and a leisurely walk along the edge of Lake Te Anau, the South Island's largest lake and New Zealand's second largest lake (approximately 300 miles around).

A fishing boat on Lake Te Anau

Our destination for the walk was to visit a wildlife park where we saw two of the center's four flightless takahe birds. The takahe was thought to be extinct until discovered living high up on a mountain in Te Anau. Today 

The near extinct Takahe bird

wildlife authorities are diligently working to save the remaining species and trying increase their numbers.

It was a long day, but filled with new discovery. The adventure continues.

Travel Day Auckland to Rotorua

Dairy and beef cows graze in open pastures

Today we traveled from Auckland to Rotorua, a distance of perhaps 150 to 200 miles. The trip took the full day because we stopped several times.

Along the way we drove through the New Zealand countryside. There were many cattle grazing in the distance on the volcanic mounds. Our guide did an excellent job of giving us relevant history of what we were seeing. 

Lip smacking apricot ice cream

At the first stop several in our group purchased items made of NZ merino wool. The products were beautiful but expensive. A lady's jacket easily exceeded $300. The rest of us bought some of the creamiest ice cream I've very eaten.

The countryside was pristine. No discarded beer cans, plastic bags, 

Long view of the New Zealand countryside

styrofoam cups or other roadside  trash. The waterways were equally clean. Our guide said that New Zealanders take great pride in  their country and don't depend on the government for cleanup efforts.

The air was equally clean. On a clear day, according to our guide, visibility is easily 70 miles. Today was a bit overcast but visibility was still outstanding.

Grass tennis court

We stopped for lunch at the Roselands where we dined outdoors. On the grounds were beautiful gardens and a grass tennis court. Other than seeing Wimbledon on TV, I'd never even seen a grass court.

Another stop was at the Waitomo Glowworm Caves, an underground labyrinth of limestone caves with many stalactite and stalagmite formations.
 

Waitomo Glowworm Cave

We took a short boat ride on the Waitomo River which runs through the Glowworm Grotto. In the darkened cave, the only light came from the tiny glowworms attached to the ceiling (no photos allowed). 

In the pitch darkness and quiet of the cave, the glowing worms reminded me of the starry Milky Way I used to see as a young child in the skies of rural North Carolina. The caves are known for this population of iridescent green/blue larvae glowworms, Arachnocampa luminosa, a species that exist only in NZ.

Tomorrow we learn about the geothermal activity in Rotorua and experience some of the Maori culture.

Auckland Day Two

Dr. John Walsby

Kia ora (hello) as they say here in New Zealand.

Today we had a stimulating and informative lecture from Dr. John Walsby, an renown published marine biologist. He talked about marine life, flora and fauna, geology, birds, animals, the effect of weather patterns on NZ, tectonic plates and how their movement has impacted the earthquake and volcanic activity, and many other topics.

A Tui, a native New Zealand bird

After the lecture we went on a field trip to a beautiful lake created by one of the many volcanoes to hit the area. Along the way Dr. Walsby identified trees and birds that are indigenous to the country.

Mt. Victoria, a volcanic mountain 

We visited one of the volcanic mountains where Dr. Walsby identified types of volcanic rocks and talked about how the landscape changed after a volcano erupts.

Because NZ native birds had no natural predators, Dr. Walsby said they had no reason to escape

Museum exhibit of the extinct moa

capture through flight. Consequently, they lost the ability to fly. The moa and kiwi, the national symbol, are two examples. The moa was big. It grew up to 12 feet tall. It is now extinct primarily because the Maori killed and ate them (they were easy to slaughter since they couldn't fly and fed a lot of people).

The kiwi, the size of a chicken, also used to be hunted by the Maori. Today the kiwi is protected. Hunting became illegal in the 1950s. There are only about 65,000 of them in the wild.

The island country of New Zealand was formed by the collision of two tectonic plates – the Australian and Pacific plates. The North Island, where Auckland is located, is on the Australian Plate. Most of the South Island is on the Pacific Plate. The 250 earthquakes that New Zealanders can feel

each year are a result of the seismic activity along the two plates. Thousands of other earthquakes occur in and around the country that cannot be felt by it residents.

View of downtown Auckland

Dr. Walsby told us that Auckland is a mostly low rise city that doesn't have many old buildings. Since the area is prone to earthquakes, building code changes required all old buildings to be reinforced with metal structures.  

Example of steel reinforced glass building

Rather than incur the cost of retrofitting existing building, many owners simply razed them. Today there are lots of glass buildings. While not aesthetically or architecturally appealing, the glass, rubber framing and steel are flexible enough to sustain major earthquakes.

I'm sure you're thinking that this must have been a boring day. Quite the contrary. I'm loving this. Dr. Walsby is such a character that he can make any topic interesting and full. I had another wonderful day in NZ.

Day One Auckland, NZ

Sailing in Auckland Harbour

Had a fantastic first day in Auckland. The weather was clear and in the upper 60s. We began the day with a lecture on New Zealand history including the migration from Polynesia of the Maori, NZ's original people - think American Indians for the USA.

We then went for a sail in Auckland Harbour (yes, that's how they spell it in NZ).

Auckland Harbour Bridge

We heard a great story about the Harbour bridge. When the bridge was first opened, it only had four lane. Traffic quickly exceeded capacity so the government contracted with Nippon, a Japanese firm, to add four more lanes. At a site in Japan, the firm constructed two sections with two lanes each, transported them to Auckland and clipped two lanes in each direction onto the existing four lane bridge. So the locals call the bridge "the Nippon Clip-ons". For many

weeks after the bridge opened, locals refused to drive on it

A respite among the bromeliads & ferns

because they thought the added lanes would fall into the Harbour. I thought that was a great story.

We had lunch at Eden Gardens, a huge, lush green garden built on an one of Auckland's many  volcanic mountains.

Maori art

Both indigenous and imported plants thrive year round in an intact ecological zone. Plants include camellias, rhododendrons, roses, hostas, Japanese maples, bromeliads, succulents, palms and ferns.

Our last stop for the day was the Auckland World War I Museum. It has outstanding displays that tell the story of Maori culture, the indigenous animals of NZ and Auckland's involvement in The Great War when more than 7,000 locals died.

Auckland's Queen's Wharf

We wrapped up the day with a dinner overlooking Auckland Harbour.

There are 29 people in the group but it doesn't seem that big. Everyone is well travelled and in the same demographic as me - well, almost. With no exception, the conversations have been interesting and varied. I think this will be a fantastic trip.

The Adventure Begins

I hope you've enjoyed reading about New Zealand and Australia and some of the places I plan to visit during my trip. Doing the research has prepared me to better appreciate everything that I'll see and do while down under.

Now that I'm on the ground finally, I'll begin sharing real life experiences.

Stay tuned.

ARRIVED

With 30 minutes before landing, I reflected on my varied travel experiences, the people I've met, the different foods I've eaten and the sites I've seen. I paged through my passport to see stamps from Vietnam, Bangkok, Port Lockroy Antarctica, Lao, Argentina, Dominican Republic, and Cambodia. It occurred to me that I should have brought along my expired passport - the one with stamps from Kenya, Tanzania, France, Switzerland and other countries.  Why?

Because it's still hard for me to believe what I've accomplished. This is certainly a personal best for me.

There's a phrase that says 'If you can dream it, you can achieve it'. Well this North Carolina country girl never dreamed that I would see New York, let alone all seven continents.

But here I am. A world traveler. Indeed, it's more than I could ever have dreamed. For this trip it only took 30 hours and 50 minutes, but I'm not even tired. I am SO excited.

We had a quick orientation tonight and then dinner. Touring starts tomorrow.

Completion of a Seven Continents Odyssey

The gateway to international travel for many Americans is the Caribbean. For me, it was Montego Bay, Jamaica. Even though the flight departed six hours late and the country was in the midst of civil unrest, the sites and culture took my breath away. I was hooked on international travel. 

Since that trip nearly 30 years ago, I've visited over 40 countries on six continents. When I step off the plane in Auckland, New Zealand tomorrow, I will have completed an  odyssey to all seven continents. I still can't believe it!  

However, I'm far from retiring my passport and electrical power converter and adapters. India, here I come in 2014!

Great Barrier Reef

The list of natural wonders that can be seen from space is a short one. The Great Barrier Reef in the Coral Sea off the northeast coast of Queensland, Australia is one of them. It stretches nearly the distance from Washington, DC to Denver, CO.  

The Great Barrier Reef is the largest living structure on the planet. It is part of a larger complex known as the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park which is about half the size of Texas. More than 1 million visitors experience the park’s natural beauty each year. However, the reason the GBRMP is such a tourism hotspot is the barrier reef, which comprises only about seven percent of the Marine Park.



An estimated 1,500 species of marine life including colorful fish, seahorse, sharks and stingrays, whales and dolphins, giant clams, and numerous other species make this natural wonder their home. Some of the turtle and crocodile species have been around since prehistoric times. More than 350 types of coral live and grow on the Great Barrier Reef.

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park is more than just a coral reef and marine life. It includes extensive areas of seagrass, mangrove, sandy and muddy seabed communities, deep oceanic waters and island communities. 

Also, it is not a continuous barrier along the Queensland coastline. Rather it is a broken maze of around 3,000 individual reefs each with its own individual characteristics. In some areas the reef extends 250 kilometers, more than 150 miles, offshore.

Marine tourism is the largest commercial activity in the Marine Park. It is considered a world renowned destination for scuba divers. Visitors can also experience the natural beauty of the coral reef and its inhabitants by snorkeling, riding on semi-submersibles or glass bottom boats, helmet dives, and on sea planes or helicopters.

Our itinerary includes a full day cruise on the Great Barrier Reef with a dedicated marine biologist. Even though snorkeling is one of the options offered, I think I’ll choose to see this natural wonder from a semi-submersible vessel.