Hi All, There were a few spots to check out on our way to Twizel….so we got an early start….John wanted to leave by 8:00….Kathy said no way and we left at 8:45….but it all worked out in the end!! First up was the Moeraki boulders. These are large spherical shaped boulders scattered along the … Read More →
Captain’s Log: Kaka Point to Dunedin/Otago Peninsula, Day 37-38
Hi All, Wow, what a treat Dunedin and the Otago peninsula turned out to be!!! The drive up from Kaka Point was uneventful and pasture lands full of sheep/dairy, one after another….still very green!!!! But, no one way bridges….yeah….and Dunedin even had a motorway….I think we saw 110 kph or about 66 mph…..yep, flying:))) We … Read More →
Captain’s Log: Stewart Island to Catlins, Curio Bay and Kaka Point, Day 33-36
March 7-10 Hi All, After the rather boisterous ferry ride from Stewart Island we said our good byes to Adam and Cindi and got some groceries in Bluff as we had heard there were no restaurants in Curio Bay, our next destination in the Catlins (which was true) and a stop for gas. We then … Read More →
Captain’s Log: Lake Wanaka to Bluff then Stewart Island, Day 29-32
March 3-6 Hi All, Our drive from Lake Wanaka to Bluff took us a little over 4 hours. We had sunny to partly cloudy to very cloudy weather so we got to see some of the scenery and but not all. The views around Queenstown are still DDG!! We stayed at a very charming B&B … Read More →
Captain’s Log: Haast to Lake Wanaka, Day 27-28
March 1-2 Hi All, Wow…..4 weeks now on the roadtrip…..it seems like a year ago for sure!!! Yes, we have stayed very busy with only 1 down day so far. I would say we are holding up rather nicely although Kathy is making noises about how she hates suitcases…only 4 more weeks so we shall … Read More →
Captain’s Log: Franz Joseph to Haast, Day 25-26
Feb 27-28 Hi All, We were up pretty early to make our way to the Wilderness Lodge at Lake Moeraki near the Haast region. Remarkably the weather had cleared from the night before and we had some spectacular views of the southern alps and coastal range. We posted some of the pics of the Fox … Read More →
Captain’s Log: Barrytown to Franz Joseph, Day 23-24
Just a quick note: It is now Sunday March 1 and I am way behind on the blog. I wrote the blog below last Friday but have not had a chance to post as the internet in the Haast area was very slow. Hopefully I’ll catch up in the next day or so!! Feb 25-26 … Read More →
Captain’s Log: Nelson to Barrytown Day 21-22
Hi All, After a very relaxing day recuperating we got back in the saddle and were on the road again by mid-morning. We had a very scenic drive on HWY 6 over the mountain pass and to the Tasman Sea at Westport. Now the Tasman Sea is one of the roughest seas in the world … Read More →
Captain’s Log: Heaphy Track, Day 14-19
Hi All, Wow-o-wow…..the Heaphy Tramp (Kiwi’s say tramp vs backpack) was an experience that is hard for me to describe with words….awesome, top ten experience, amazing, loved it, exhilarating…yes, it was hard…..but maybe not as hard as we feared!!!! What a sense of accomplishment when we finished and we both were quite elated and also … Read More →
Captain’s Log: Blenheim to Takaka Day 10-12
Hi All, We have had 3 marvelous days in what is called the Golden Bay in the northwest side of South Island. We got here somewhat late afternoon the first day and spent some time looking around Takaka (say tack-a-ka) where we are staying in a charming cottage called “The Rock”. They have tried to … Read More →