Queenstown NZ

The rumors are true, this is a massive tourist town. It is absolutely stunning except for all the people, boutiques and shops, and construction to build more hotels and apartments for tourists. Once you drive out of town, it is quiet and beautiful, with an easy road along Lake Wakatipu with the mountains in the background. On Sunday we decided to be touristy, and took TSS Earnslaw (steamship) across the lake to the sheep station (Walter Peak Farm). The boat ride was lovely and the sheep station/farm is fun, with lots of animals to see, topped off by a border collie sheep herding demonstration. Sheep, highland cattle, goats, and llamas made it all the more enjoyable. We met a charming woman traveling solo from Switzerland (Rita) and spent the day with her. Here are a few pics.

TSS Earnslaw

Walter Peak Farm

Walter Peak Farm

On Monday we drove to Glenorchy which is only about 40 minutes from Queenstown. Our friends from Bainbridge (Laurie & Bruce) live there 6 months of the year, but unfortunately, they were not in town. The drive along Lake Wakatipu is gorgeous, and the town is quaint and charming, with lots of hikers, bicyclists, and outdoor enthusiasts. Apparetly it was a backdrop for the Lord of the Rings films. We made a stop at Mrs. Woolly's, the local general store and coffee shop.

Tuesday was our last day in New Zealand. We traveled to Doubtful Sound, which is a UNESCO listed Fiordland National Park. The bus picked us up at 7:50 am and took us to Lake Manapouri (2 hour ride), then a boat across the lake (45 min) to another bus (30 min) that took us over Wilmot Pass, to another boat that took us throughout Doubtful Sound and out to the Tasman Sea (3 hour cruise). Unfortunately, it rained (buckets) the entire day and so the photos we took do not do it justice. There are thousands of waterfalls, and many islands, and it is stunning. Apparently, there are only 65 sunny days per year, and they average 500+ inches of rain per year.

We returned back to Queenstown and had a lovely dinner downtown, and we are now tucked into our apartment, ready to embark on Wednesday on the first leg of our journey home (Queenstown to Melbourne). On Thursday we will fly from Melbourne to San Francisco and then onto Seattle, arriving home around late. We miss our life and friends on Bainbridge, but we especially miss our sweet cat Earl, who may have forgotten us while we've been away.

I hope you've enjoyed our travel blog. I'll upload the hundreds of other photos and I'd be happy to share those with any of you who want to see more.

Lake Moeraki - Wilderness Lodge

We had a nice stay at Lake Moeraki. The lodge and grounds are gorgeous and there were 12 other travelers with us on the first night, mostly from the UK. Our host Gerry, gave us a welcome briefing, and talked a little about the lodge, eco-tourism, and his mission to save New Zealand as part of the Nature Heritage Fund. Apparently, tourism from the US has been off the charts for NZ post-covid.

This area is in a rainforest and it poured the first night and the next morning. All the morning hikes were cancelled because of the rain, so we decided to drive to the beach and wait for the sun to come out. We found a funky place to eat, and by the time we got back to the lodge, the sun was out. We joined the evening nature walk, watched our guide feed the eels in the river, and discussed the trees and birds that live in this area. Dinner on day 2 brought a large group from NY, and we had a nice time chatting with fellow travelers, many of whom had been at the Australian Open. Here are a few photos of the lodge and the beach.

On Saturday morning, we headed south to Queenstown. It took about 4 hours, with lots of beautiful waterfalls, lakes and vistas along the way. We arrived, grabbed lunch downtown, and checked into our apartment. Only 4 more days here in NZ, then we'll begin the long trip home. Here are some pics from the drive south. Our trusty rental car has served us well, and we've covered 2,500 km in the past 10 days!

Christchurch, NZ

We spent the day exploring downtown, starting at the Botanical Gardens, which are beautiful. The flowers are in full bloom with dahlias, roses, and many perennials that we have growing in the Pacific Northwest. Lots of photos will be posted to the gallery, but here are just a few. The weather was great all day, in the low 70s. Windy at night however.

We roamed the Central Business District (CBD), where there is a quaint River Avon and a tram system that runs through downtown, but we chose to walk. The gothic style buildings were once part of the University of Canterbury, but are now shops, a cinema, and an art gallery. The Riverside Market has amazing food stalls and shops, and it was packed. There's also a gorgeous Art Museum. The city is vibrant and filled with lots of locals and tourists, and everyone is friendly.

The best part of Christchurch for us, was a restaurant called 5th Street, where we had dinner. We chose to sit at the chef's table which is the counter overlooking the head chef (Samson Stewart) and his team. I'm including a link to the restaurant here 5thstreet.co.nz and you can check them out on Instagram too. What a meal and experience! Absolutely fantastic! (Romaine salad & pasta for Kim; Lamb shoulder on Chimichurri for Jim, and a view of the interior). There was wine and dessert too! Yum! Best meal of the trip so far.