Thursday, Nov. 12 (Mark's B-Day) - Queenstown

Thursday morning we packed up and headed out of Lake Tekapo enroute to Queenstown. On the way, we made a scenic stop at Lake Pukaki which is a very similar lake to Tekapo. We spent some time their taking pictures of the surroundings and then continued on to Queenstown. The drive became more and more scenic as we moved further south down through the country which resulted in more and more abrupt stops along the road to take snapshots of the surroundings.

Upon arrival, we recognize that Queenstown is a quaint and wonderful little town whose history is in gold mining. Its downtown area bustled with backpackers, tourists and locals. Our first order of business was to take a ride up the Queenstown gondola which provides a grand panoramic view of the town, the lake which it sits on, and the surrounding mountains known as The Remarkables. While up at the top of the gondola, we all took in one of the local adventures known as street luge. They had two courses, a scenic and an advanced. We took on both courses before the afternoon was done and Mark took a second run at the advanced track to kick off his birthday celebration.

After riding down off of the mountain, we went in to town for a little shopping before catching up with Ken and Steve (friends of Damon and Arna that we met in Queenstown) for a little casino action to continue my birthday celebration. As we headed back to the car, we heard from a nearby balcony “Hey…..bloody Americans….go home!!” My first reaction was offense and surprise as everyone in this country has been extremely nice up to this point. I then had a trigger go off in my mind that said “Hey, I know that voice…” That was then followed up with a visual of Ken laughing his way down the staircase. After some small talk, we set a meeting time at the casino and went off to change and grab a bite to eat.

After arriving at the casino, we sat down at the roulette table to start some gambling. As we started playing, we had mixed results and I was then hit with the sobering reality that New Zealand was the first country that I’d gambled in which you have to buy your beers at full price even while actively playing the tables. I simply took this as a challenge to win enough to cover my bar bill and still not loose any money. Roulette proved profitable for one of the very few times in my experience and I then moved over to blackjack and enjoyed a bit more of birthday luck. All in all, I came out increasing my funds about six times over. Happy Birthday to me!! Too bad I’m not a high dollar gambler.

Wednesday, November 11 - Travel to Lake Tekapo

Wednesday began with about a 2 hour drive to a small French colony along the coast known as Akaroa where we planned to take a harbor tour to see the sites and take in New Zealand’s unique Hector dolphins. The weather was less than ideal with a heavy dose of wind accompanied by occasional showers. Add to that a cold morning and we have the perfect makings of a cancelled boat trip. Once determining that we weren’t heading out on the harbor, we grabbed a quick bite at a waterfront café. Then we headed out on our way to Lake Tekapo. The highlight of this drive was Barry’s Bay Cheesery (their term, not mine) for some great locally made port wine cheddar and peppered havarti. We then hit the road for a 3 hour drive down to the lake.

Once arriving at Tekapo, we were instantly taken back by the amazing colors of the water. We’re not sure how to describe it, but it was different than anything that we’ve seen before. It could be described as a milky crystal blue color, but that doesn’t really do it justice. We later found out that this unique color was created by the glaciers as they grind across certain types of rocks and producing a fine powder that mixes with the ice and gives off this color when it melts. The bonus of this location is that the highest peak in NZ, Mt. Cook, is in the distance directly overlooking the lake.

While at the lake, we visited the historic Church of the Good Shepherd which garnishes a view that would make it extremely difficult to concentrate on even the most enthralling sermons. After snapping a few photos, we headed off to explore around the lake and stumbled on to the Mt. John Observatory. After driving up the steep gravel track, we were treated to a fantastic view of the lake from about 1,000 meters up. We then headed back to town to grab a quick bite which included a tasty burger that had bacon, egg, grilled onions, cheese and a spicy chili mayo. Not exactly what we expected to see here in NZ. We finished the evening with a little star gazing in front of the chalet that we were staying in. We’re not sure how to describe it, but it was the most amazing night sky that we’ve ever seen. There were so many stars that it was extremely difficult to pick out any constellations, and the stars twinkled like nothing I had ever seen.

Pictures from Days 4-6

Running at a Fast Pace

Our adventure to New Zealand began very smoothly and the only major takeaways that we had were that 1) 13 hours is a very long flight no matter which way you look at it, 2) There is an intense obsession with Dunkin Donuts at the Auckland airport, and 3) The mullet is an accepted and somewhat common hairstyle over here.

Upon arriving in Christchurch, NZ at about 1:20 in the afternoon, we proceeded to grab all of the luggage (“Woohooo!!! All the bags made it!), get the rental car, check in at the cottage that we were renting in town, unload the car, and still make it to a local arts market in town by 2:30.

After shopping with the locals for a while, we caught up with our friends Damon & Arna who live on Cass Bay which is about 30 minutes from Christchurch proper. They have an absolutely stunning view from their waterfront home. We began the evening by breaking out some of New Zealand and Australia’s delightful wines. Arna then proceeded to show off some of her phenomenal culinary skills. It started with some great appetizers to accompany the wine and then came the main attraction. Arna then served up some of New Zealand’s finest lamb (which they are famous for) with a lobster salad and NZ sweet potatoes on the side. It was a truly wonderful evening that finished with a bit more wine and good conversation.

Day 2 in Christchurch was all about seeing the sights and Damon & Arna took us around to some of their favorite views along the coast and surrounding mountainside. We also got to see their bach (pronounced “batch”) which is a term used for a vacation home by the Kiwis. That afternoon we shared a Thai meal with some of their friends (Steve, Pam, and Ken…you’ll need to remember a couple of these characters for later) that would be joining us the next day at the New Zealand Cup horse races. After going our separate ways, we traveled to the botanical gardens which are said to be the best in the southern hemisphere and are part of the world’s 3rd largest public park. The botanical views were amazing and to our delight there was also an abundance of ducks. Innocent ducks that had no idea that Nicolle was on the prowl and looking to give chase (you’ll have to ask her yourself if you have any questions and yes, we have photos…). The day finished with some creamy hot chocolate and nighttime sightseeing through Cathedral Square in downtown Christchurch.

Our 3rd day in Christchurch started with more sightseeing as we took an amazing drive along the summit road which runs along the top of a mountain range that separates Christchurch from Lyttleton Harbour. From here we headed back to town to hit a couple more attractions. One of our favorites was “Punting on the Avon”, which in plain terms is riding on a flat bottom boat on the scenic Avon river which runs through the heart of Christchurch. After a riverside lunch at a small café, it was off to the races to take in one of New Zealand’s biggest sporting events.

Upon arrival at the Addington Raceway, we located our friends taking in a little tailgating before entering the track. This definitely wasn’t your average trip down to Lone Star Park to take in some racing on the weekend. This was more like the Kentucky Derby atmosphere, complete with men dressed to the nines and women in formal dresses and hats, and there were even a few costumes. Now, to bring this experience together, we have to let you know that the group that we went with looked prepared for a Jimmy Buffett concert and garnished quite a bit of local media attention for their efforts. After countless glasses of champagne and strawberries, we completed the experience with a trip down to one of Christchurch’s pubs. Damon & Arna – Thanks for taking the time to show us the locals perspective of Christchurch.

We’re obviously still a couple of days behind on the storyline, but feel free to enjoy some of these photos as teasers to get you ready for trials and tribulations of our journey.

Departure Day

Well, the excitement is building and it's wheels up at 7 PM for Kristi, Nicolle, and myself....more to come.