Trip Around the Bottom of the South Island

We enjoyed a six day trip to Dunedin, Taieri Gorge, Queenstown, Milford Sound, Franz Josef Glasier and back to Christchurch via the TransAlpine Railway. Thanksgiving was spend in Queenstown. See the pictures on the left. Tonight it was time to set up the Christmas tree. Tomorrow we leave for a couple of days on the northwest side of the South Island with Tara and Al.

Christchurch Liedertafel 535th Concert

Tara sang Laudate Dominum with a men's Quartet in the Christchurch Cathredral today. It was a special thrill for Frank and I to hear and see her sing. The best audio is in the video recording Frank made. Pictures.

Tomorrow morning we leave for six day tour of Dunedin, Queenstown, Milford Sound and back to Christchurch via the train across the scenic Southern Alps. Last night we watched one of the Lord of the Ring movies with Tara and Al trying to give us a crash course on the characters, good guys, bad guys, plots etc.

Antarctic Center to Akaroa Bay

Yesterday we visited the Antarctic Center. Today we drove to Akaroa, a beautiful bay just south of the city surrounded by green hills and sheep. Had a lovely lunch with a wine sampler. A northeaster wind brought in the first real taste of summer, temperatures in the high 70's. Tonight we took a walk along the river to the hospital where Tara works. We can all be envious of her idealic short and beautiful commute to work. Pictures.

Noise in the night

We were all awakened at 5:30 am by a noise none of could identify. It was an earthquake just north of Christchurch!

Lakes, Lupins and Mountains

We returned this evening from a wonderful trip to Lake Tekapo and to see the beautiful Lupin flowers and the highest mountain in New Zealand, Mt. Cook. The blue color of the lakes are from the sediment from the glacier in the area. The Lupins are the same family as Texas Bluebonnets and come in many colors. Click to see some pictures from this trip.

First Days in Christchurch

After the ferry trip, we enjoyed a pleasant train ride into Christchurch where Tara and Al meet us. It was great to see them and their new home. They are excellent hosts, providing great meals and acting as tour guides. We also enjoyed meeting many of their friends when we visited their camping site over the holiday weekend.

Today we spend the day in Christchurch touring both the Art Center and the Botanical Gardens. --MX Pictures.

Ferry Trip Almost Over

The ferry trip is almost over. Partly cloudy clear weather. Trip was very calm expect for the short distance where the two tides meet. We will transfer to the train from the ferry and arrive in Christchurch early evening. The water and land is BEAUTIFUL! We  saw quite a few dolphins off the side of the ferry. We will add more news and pictures once we are settled in Christchurch. --MX Pictures.

New Zealand Orientation Completed

A full day at the Te PaPa Museum completes our New Zealand orientation in Wellington. You do know you are in a different country but I've discovered it's easy to get my coffee with "trim" milk; New Zealand wines are wonderful; newspaper pages seem really wide; everyone is friendly, helpful and no one expects a tip for doing their job. You can watch Monday night football and Australian "Biggest Loser" complete with look alike host and trainers. We tested our eligibility for immigration to New Zealand at a museum exhibit today. Seems we would need two million dollars or a child who is a resident in New Zealand to be welcomed. Guess which one we have?

Tomorrow we leave early for ferry and train trip to Christchurch. We are anxious to visit with Tara and Al. --Mx

Day one in Wellington

Arrived in Auckland on schedule. Flight was long but went as well as a 13 hour flight could go. It was full but our coach seats had more legroom than any American airline we've ever been on so it was comfortable. My back held up well. Some soreness but nothing I needed to whine about. Dinner and breakfast were very good for airline food and the wine was free. Crossed the international dateline so it's now Tuesday. We're officially time travelers.

Last leg to Wellington also went smoothly but it took all the time we had to get through customs and to the domestic terminal. Arrived in Wellington to a cool and windy day. Hotel that Tara had recommended to us is excellent and very conveniently located in the downtown business district. Really were tempted to go to sleep but we decided to try to get our time change adjusted so we set out for some immediate sightseeing.

Took the cable car to the top of a hill for a view of the city and see the botanical gardens. (Wellington is as hilly as San Francisco.) Then walked to the museum where we explored in preparation for our full museum day tomorrow. In case you didn't know. the Te Papa Museum is one of the finest in the world and will give us an excellent understanding of New Zealand history. By the time we get to bed tonight we will have been up well over 40 hours. Time to get some food and sleep.  --FM Pictures.

Stage 2 of NZ Adventure

We're at LAX airport waiting for our flight to New Zealand. Southwest flights were on time and packed but otherwise uneventful. Got free wifi at SA and Phoenix airports but had to pay here. That's California for you! Air New Zealand took our bags early and have been very helpful. Actually looking forward to the flight, having dinner and  getting some sleep. FM

Sent from my iPod

Last Skype Call

We just had a final Skype call with Tara and Al. They are busy trying to fix the leg on the trundle bed. The bed with a damage leg survived multiple trip to college and back AND the trip to New Zealand. But the thought of us coming to sleep on it was just too much. Al assures us he'll have it fixed. We're getting excited and have much to do to get ready.

Halloween with Granddaughters

A quick trip but a great time! In case you can't figure it out Sydney was a jellyfish, Jessica a fortune teller and Amanda a leopard - and two old bats!