Our Second Honeymoon 6

We made it to Lake Tekapo and had our coldest day yet at  the top of Mount John University Observatory ... yes even I thought it was blinkin' cold.

I think it felt more like an Antarctic Research Station than the middle of the South Island of New Zealand, but one very cool place indeed ... pardon the pun.  We wanted to do a night star gazing tour, but the photographer took the night off.  Bugger!

The view from inside the Church of the Good Shepherd ... it was Sunday after all.

Taking time to reflect at the Church of the Good Shepherd on Lake Tekapo.

Kathy putting here 4WD Skills to work ... just to get some photos of a frozen lake.  Go the Rav4!

Next was a trip to the Lake Tekapo Hot Pools which was a very popular place to be, with more people than we've seen in one place for a very long time.

There was Ice Skating too!

... and lots of fun for the whole family to be had on the Tube Luge.

Back on the road again and we just had to stop at Puzzle World in Wanaka for a little mind bending fun.

The drive to the west coast is never boring and it really does change every minute, from lake reflections

... to ice covered walls lining the windy roads.

There's something new to look out for at every turn, so it's not a road to drift off on.

 

 As close as we got to the Fox Glacier ... unfortunately we just couldn't get any pilot to get us in the air due to the poor visibility.

The Salmon doesn't get any fresher than this ... straight from the farm to the plate ... and it was absolutely scrumptious.

For those of you interested in seeing what we're up to, we'll be attempting to post updates and photos on our BLOG, PICASA WEB ALBUMS and FACEBOOK PAGE when time and Internet connections permit.

Warmest Regards ...
Darren & Kathy Gardiner

Our Second Honeymoon 5

Lake Manapouri from the shore line on a sunny day is truly a beautiful place to behold shortly after leaving Te Anau.

On the road to Invercargill, we felt we were constantly being watched ... and we were.  Buy the thousands of sheep that line the roads throughout the country.

The beaches go from beautiful sunny and colourful places ...

To dark and gloomy, gold and ever so uninviting.

The view from "The Bluff' near Invercargill is beautiful and blue in one direction and grey and gold on the other.

All throughout the drive, the scenery changes constantly, but there never seems to be a time when the view in the rear vision mirror doesn't reflect the beauty we see everywhere in this country.

 A glimpse of the magnificent blue waters at the Waitaki Hydro Power Station.

We're getting close now ... on the road to Twizel.

 

As the sun sets on us while we drive into Lake Tekapo, the colours and textures of the sky are amazing and so worth the drive.  It just keeps getting better.

For those of you interested in seeing what we're up to, we'll be attempting to post updates and photos on our BLOG, PICASA WEB ALBUMS and FACEBOOK PAGE when time and Internet connections permit.

Warmest Regards ...
Darren & Kathy Gardiner

Our Second Honeymoon 4

Thursday 21st July we set out on a full day's tour of the iconic "Doubtful Sound" which all began in the mist of a frosty winter's morning across Lake Manpouri.

After the boat trip across Lake Manapouri, we hopped on the frosty bus, which constantly battled foggy windows, but never disappointed us with great views around every corner.

Once on the boat in Doubtful Sound, we traded group photos for group photos to get a picture of both of us, all rugged up on the deck.  Well, I had a jacket over my T-Shirt OK.

I stuck the GoPro Video Camera to the very front of the deck and let it record some of the sights as we cruised.  Yes, that my little video camera down there stuck to the deck with a suction cap in front of the hand railings.

Kathy had trouble standing in the sub-zero freezing winds on the deck ... Queen of the world.

We even managed to see a few of the ever so cuddly looking New Zealand Fur Seals sunning themselves on the rocks of Doubtful Sound.

The "Blanket Bay Motel" ... right on the Sound!

There are some beautiful reflections to be seen on the sound.

Our boat became an Ice Breaker too as we approached this amazing reflection.  You could hear the ice cracking and crunching under the hull as we approached.  Did I mention it really was a little cold here?

And there are some amazing reflections to be seen on the sound ... like this one.

After cruising the sound, we took a bus trip about 180m underground to see the Manapouri Hydro Electric Power Station.  It's hard to believe that two buses can actually pass each other in these tunnels ... just.

Inside the Manapouri Hydro Electric Power Station.

Back "Home" to "Te Anau" and with veiws like this of Lake Te Anau, it was hard to leave the lovely Fiordland Lakeview Hotel and Apartments.

For those of you interested in seeing what we're up to, we'll be attempting to post updates and photos on our BLOG, PICASA WEB ALBUMS and FACEBOOK PAGE when time and Internet connections permit.

Warmest Regards ...
Darren & Kathy Gardiner

Our Second Honeymoon 3

Unfortunately for us, Milford Sound didn't turn on the good weather for us and we did have to make do with a very overcast, rainy, cloudy and rather chilly day, but still a sight to behold.

As you can see I rugged up with a T-Shirt and spray jacket to survive the cold ... and it was a little.

 On the drive to Te Anau from Milford Sound, who needs a fridge when you have roadside snow?

Kathy did an awesome job of the driving again so I could hang out the window and take photos as we drove, now that was a tad cold on the fingers.  These roads are a little treacherous, but if you use a little common sense, the drive is sooooo worth it.

Until next time, thanks for reading and if you'd like to see all the photos from our trip, please visit our Picasa Web Album.

For those of you interested in seeing what we're up to, we'll be attempting to post updates and photos on our BLOG, PICASA WEB ALBUMS and FACEBOOK PAGE when time and Internet connections permit.

Warmest Regards ...
Darren & Kathy Gardiner

Our Second Honeymoon 2

 For our first dinner in Queenstown on Saturday 16th, we took the recommendation of Krit from our hotel and hit Flames Bar and Grill in the centre of town.  No disappointments here, the food and service was amazing ... highly recommended everyone.  http://flamegrill.co.nz/

On the way home, we took a little detour along the lake edge and thought it might be worth trying a long exposure on such a clear night and after a little fumbling with resting the trusty compact on the bonnet and windscreen wipers, we managed a 6 second exposure shot that I think was worth the effort.

After a bit of a lazy Sunday morning, we headed for an iSite (www.i-site.org.nz) where we got some great help and advice, plus better prices than we could get online, when we booked our Accommodation and Cruise on Milford and Doubtful Sound.  Later in the afternoon, we couldn't resist a visit to the Arrowtown Bakery for lunch and this is truly worth the half hour drive from Queenstown through some very beautiful scenery.

The main reason we booked at the Rydges Lakeland Resort (www.rydges.com/queenstown) was because it had an uninterrupted view of the lake ... very nice indeed.

 

Monday afternoon was spent with Matt, our truly awesome guide from Skipper's Canyon Jet (www.skipperscanyonjet.co.nz) who took us in his serious 4x4 on one of the most amazing scenic drives around.  Fantastic afternoon and so worth the money, everything was perfect.  Thank you Matt!

Monday night we had dinner with my Cousin Damo at the Dux DeLux (www.thedux.co.nz) in Queenstown for about the nicest gourmet pizza we've ever had ... the Salmon and Camembert Pizza is to die for.

Tuesday morning, we had our last buffet breakfast at the hotel before starting the drive ... to Milford Sound via Te Anau.  This drive is fantastic ... the scenery changes so much every time you turn your head it's amazing.  Please take the time to visit the Picasa Web Album later to see many more photos than just the few here.

Inside the Homer Tunnel is not really a place for the faint hearted when you get massive trucks zoom past you, but that's all part of the fun right?

We made it to Milford Sound on Tuesday afternoon with plenty of time to check into the Milford Sound Lodge, sort the many photos taken so far and get an early night before the Milford Sound Cruise on Wednesday.

Whatcha Lookin' At?
KEA

Until next time, thanks for reading and if you'd like to see all the photos from our trip, please visit our Picasa Web Album.

For those of you interested in seeing what we're up to, we'll be attempting to post updates and photos on our BLOG, PICASA WEB ALBUMS and FACEBOOK PAGE when time and Internet connections permit.

Warmest Regards ...
Darren & Kathy Gardiner