SOUTH ISLAND NEW ZEALAND Nov 17

[keithg]

Thursday the 23rd and we get up and have a bite to eat and a drink with Joy and Jodie. We bis them farewell as they had to get to Christchurch and catch a plane. Was a surprise and a great catch up. We headed into Queenstown about 12 miles away to catch the Earnslaw and head to Walter Peak High Country Farm for a BBQ lunch. Queenstown accommodation was booked out and for around twice the price at least of where we were staying. Worth doing the little drive. We found a free safe parking spot a long side Lake Wakatipu and had a 10 minute walk along side the lake to where the ferry was docked at the bottom end of town.







The old girl soon got up a head of steam and away we went across the lake. Just beautiful.



The main house where we had our BBQ dinner. A Carvery Buffet. Every kind of meat beautifully bbq'd and every kind of salad you could think of. Roasted veggies and sweets including ice cream. I had everything.



Away it goes to get another load of people.



Dogs rounded the sheep up for shearing.







Beautiful gardens.



Oh noo. its coming back for us. We should have asked if we could have stayed for the next ride back. Didn't see everything.



Time to leave this beautiful farm.

We had a walk around Queenstown and then headed back to Arrowtown via the Shotover Rapids to see the Jet boats. At $149 a ride, we decided to give that a miss but very spectacular though.















Very spectacular and not much water.

Tomorrow Glenorchy. Keith

[glc]

3.785 liters to a US gallon, 1 NZD is 71.5 US cents, that makes gas $6.05 a gallon and diesel $4.27 a gallon. US average today is about $2.50 a gallon for regular unleaded 87 gas and $3.00 for diesel and premium unleaded 91 to 93 gas.

[keithg]

3.785 liters to a US gallon, 1 NZD is 71.5 US cents, that makes gas $6.05 a gallon and diesel $4.27 a gallon. US average today is about $2.50 a gallon for regular unleaded 87 gas and $3.00 for diesel and premium unleaded 91 to 93 gas.

Thanks for that. Just checked the local prices here in Brisbane. Unleaded 91 approx. 1.30. Unleaded 95 1.40. Unleaded 98 1.50. Diesel approx. 1.30. 1 Aussie dollar is 79 US cents.

[Lifemagician]

Diesel approx. 1.30. 1 Aussie dollar is 79 US cents.

Diesel at the BP next to where I live has been $1.24.9 (US$3.70) for the last two years. At present in outback NSW it is averaging around $1.35

I got the majority of my US dollars for the up coming trip when it stood at 80c against the greenback. May need some more.

Lifey

[glc]

Your octane numbers are different than ours. You use RON, we use AKI. Your 91/95/98 are equivalent to our 87/90/93.

[keithg]

Your octane numbers are different than ours. You use RON, we use AKI. Your 91/95/98 are equivalent to our 87/90/93.

I didn't know that. Wonder why they have different names. Confusing.

[keithg]

Diesel at the BP next to where I live has been $1.24.9 (US$3.70) for the last two years. At present in outback NSW it is averaging around $1.35

I got the majority of my US dollars for the up coming trip when it stood at 80c against the greenback. May need some more.

Lifey

I wish we had done that lifey. You told me to but I'm old and silly. :) we will have to stay at cheaper places next time over plus gas is cheaper than what it was last visit.

[keithg]

Friday morning we pulled out of the Big 10 Park in Arrowtown and headed for Glenorchy. Margaret's sister Joy had shown us photo's of her and her daughter Jodie riding horse's there and the wild Lupins were as high as the horse's. Drove through Queenstown and then had a spectacular drive around the side of Lake Wakatipu to Glenorchy.





Some clever person made this Tui, a native NZ bird that has a white tuff of feathers on its neck. There was two of them. Really well done.

Glenorchy, pronounced Glen orc he, so we found out, is a small town with spectacular views and we had great coffee and lunch there. The flowers were as promised and with lake and mountains in background.









Native girl I found in the flowers.





Native boy doing the traditional Haka amongst the Lupins.



We then headed back to Queenstown and on to Te Anau. Pronounced Tea Arn ow. Well, I do anyway. :) We found accommodation through the local I Centre. Probably because everything was pretty heavily booked, the motel wouldn't honor there advertised price but we wernt arguing over 10 or 15 dollars. We went down to the lake and ate Fish and Chips. Could have gone to Milford Sound, a really spectacular place but with so many tourists and lots of rude ones at that, we gave it a miss. We had been there before. But I do recommend the drive out there for a look and a cruise. Looked at taking a cruise to Doughtful Sounds but I didn't want to buy the boat. Can drive there in about 2 hours apparently. Wish we had done it. Next time.



Some fluffy little chic's finding dinner under the watchful eyes of the mothers.



Water was quite refreshing. Freezing in fact. Woke me up.



Lake Te Anau.

[keithg]

Saturday the 25th we leave Te Anau and head for Invercargill and Bluff. another hot sunny day. No humidity though which was good. Had a look at Lake Manapouri and also the Clifton Suspension bridge that was built in 1898. Called into Gemstone beach where Margaret found some great looking rocks. Wants to take them home. We also called into Monkey Island. Lots of hard sand where family's were having lots of fun. I didn't see any Monkey's though. Cosy Nook was picture perfect. Farmer had opened his gates for tourists to get down to ocean for a look. Had a special little building for people to use when the urge arose hahaha. Long Drop Lodge. Short Stay Only.





Checked it out and as it says, I only had a short stay. It was a very long drop hahaha.

All the fields were so green and lots of sheep mostly with 2 lambs each. We passed through Invercargill and went straight to Bluff. Nothing much there but I suppose we can say we went to the southern most part of NZ except for Stewart Island. Back to Invercargill.





Couple of old buildings in Invercargill. We got another cabin through the I Centre. Then went into town for look and some dinner.
Next morning we were up and Margaret wanted a pic of this old water tower. Which I have just found I havnt uploaded. Never mind. When we were at the I centre the old Indian Motorcycle was there. One from the movie "The Worlds Fastest Indian". About Kiwi Burt Munro and how he took his bike to the Salt Lakes.



We then headed for Bill Richardson's "Transport world." Bill has passed away but his wife and family have kept the museum going and it is fantastic. Margaret wasn't keen on going but was happy she did. A lady Tracy who works there was so helpful with advice and also told us some horrific stories from when she lived in Christchurch during the earth quake. I doubt we even saw everything but we recommend this museum . Old cars. Old trucks. Model vehicles. Wearable art. Even the bathrooms were different making use of drums for example.





Both those pics were taken in the bathrooms.





Wearable Art.















This model made completely with match sticks.



One for you Dave. :)





The Grill. Café.





My Hot chocolate with a bar of chocolate laying across the top. I did share the bar with Margaret.

Great place. Would go again for sure and good price. Think it was about $23-50 each pensioner rates. Now leaving Invercargill and heading for Dunedin. Back later.

Keith

[Mark Sedenquist]

Great Hat indeed!

Loving the photos and the wry commentary.

Mark