Waihola - Sinclair Wetlands

I hope you all don't mind me 'blowing my own trumpet' but I'm really pleased with these pictures. It was very early on the morning and that seems to be the magic time when the birds are sitting around undisturbed and the light is just beautiful. The wetlands is a bird sanctuary so I have quite a few pictures of weird and wonderful birds. I'll have to do a 'wildlife of New Zealand' blog soon. We're in Australia now - but that's for another blog!!

I hope you all enjoy these pictures.

Ps Thanks for the comments from Shirley's Auntie Gloria, Uncle Derek and Auntie Mary. Also from Suzanne's cousin Julie Elves

The Catlins

This is about as close to South Pole as we'll get on our trip - we're on the southern most point of the South Island.
The first picture is at Waipapa Point (the lighthouse)

The next picture is of the petrified forest at Curio Bay from the Jurassic period (180 million years old) Elvis is helping the picture by doing an impersonation of someone petrified. Not quite the same thing! I think I read that these trees were buried and pressured etc so much that the organic material turns into stone - a bit like looking into a gorgons eyes! So the shape running past Elvis is a petrified tree trunk, the next picture shows all the petrified tree stumps.

The other pictures move along through the Catlins along the coast to the final spot at Nugget point. Note in the last picture the nugget standing next to the sign.

The King's of Riversdale

Well what a lovely time we had with the 'Kings' in Riversdale.

Richard and Heather are parents of a friend (Lynda - see 'A drink in The Feathers' Blog) of friends (Chrissy and Mick) of friends (Alan and Liz)!! ..... and they kindly asked us over to their place. They have a beautiful spot in Southland and we were throughly spoilt there!

Richard's brother Alan was also staying as were their grand-daughters Sam and Alex. We spent Saturday night with them seeing a hypnotist, Heather tried her best to persuade us to get up but we were having none of it!

We left on Sunday morning after Richard had cooked us some fantastic 'home grown' bacon. We said fond farewells with clean bodies and full bellies!!

Thanks for making us so very welcome!

Sam, enjoy the 'Bon Jovi' concert in Christ Chuch in January!

Gunn Camp & the return of Keith Coleman

This is Gunn Camp - a place used by the homer tunnel miners in the 1930's and now turned into a holiday spot - we only called in to see the museum, we looked at one of the huts and I thought it was a museum exhibit. On the way back from Milford sound Elvis and I were talking about it and I remarked how fantastic it would be to spend a cold night in front of a real fire - that was when Elvis said we probably could as they were for rent. Twenty minutes later we were lighting the fire!

It took me right back to the old days when my family would all be sitting around the fire in the living room - when the coal ran out my Mam or Dad would shout 'Keith Coleman' - Keith Coleman was a sports presenter - hence the spelling. This was my cue to go outside in the freezing cold to fill up the coal bucket. A form of child abuse really. Having said that, anyone who knows me, knows how much I love fire - so it was really a labour of love!

We had the fire roaring in no time, then we cooked one of my nephews dishes - Chicken in white wine with capers - with quinoa and broccoli, all consumed with the smell of coal smoke in the air. There was a tear in my eye!!

Millford Sound

OH MY GOD!! There are few places we've seen that compares with this place. Normally it's shrouded in mist and rain, but when we visited it was unusually dry and bright - the steepness of the cliffs really makes you feel very close to the place - apparently the 'under the surface' view is a mirror image of above the surface. It has been described as 'the eighth wonder of the world' and that was by Rudyard Kipling, who knows what he's talking about!

If we ever come back to New Zealand we'll be revisiting Milford Sound. Actually, for efficiado's of this kind of thing, Milford sound isn't really a 'sound' it's a fjord (see we were listening to the cruise guide). You can do a walk here called the Milford Track, which takes four days stopping at huts along the way - we didn't have time to do it, but if we come back we will, the walk is said to be the best hike in the world.

Queenstown

I know what you're thinking - more lakes and mountains, well Queenstown does have that - it also has the historic 1880 Kawarau Bridge, which was the sight of the first commercial bungy jump. Now who out of the two of us is willing to jump off a perfectly good bridge - head first with nothing but an elastic band around their feet? No free cups of tea this time!!

I'd like to be able to describe to you all what it is like, but it's not possible! From the moment you decide to go, your brain goes into shock - and waiting for the few seconds before the rope reels you in is enough to send your butt cheeks into a spasm! By the time I hit the water I was screaming - but I must admit I loved it. I'm not saying that I would do it again mind you!

The guys said that I did a really great dive, I thought it was 'just regular' but I'll take the acolades!

If anyone doubts my stupidity (especially my sister Ginny), I can have a picture taken with my certificate if you wish.

The boy in the last picture is Sebastian from Tasmania - we were both on the bridge waiting to do our jump at the same time - he was really cool considering he's 12 years old. Suzanne was talking and taking pictures with Sebastians parents - we all had a coffee together after the main event and we have Doreen's address in Tasmania if we would like to call in.

Lake Wanaka

The first four shots were taken at Wanaka. It's a beautiful spot surrounded by, yes you've guessed it, mountains and lakes!
Isn't it just gorgeous though?

We arrived late morning and it was raining...again! We had no option but to do the coffee and cake thing and then.... yes still raining! So we had a little snooze in the van.... still raining, and then did a spot of shopping at the local supermarket and.... the sun was out and we manged to get a walk in around the lake, at last!

The last few pictures were taken at a cinema called Dorothy Brown (a pub stop off beforehand of course) in a little former gold mining town called Arrowtown. Mind you , you can still mess about in the rivers and in 1993 someone found a gold nugget worth about 25 000 pounds.

The cinema was a right litle find! The little room with the fancy chairs and sofas is the den and has it's own showing. The main performance is in screen one complete with fat comfy cushions and mohair blankets. They serve the most delicious homemade ice cream and wait for it, a cheeseboard in the interval complete with ya red (or white) wine! How civilised is that!