We had planned an overnight at Mt Cook or Aoraki but the road was closed so we stayed an extra night in Dunedin and made an early start the next day. On our way to Christchurch we stopped in a couple of small towns.
At Lake Pukaki we could make out Aoraki in the distance. Aoraki can be translated as “cloud piercer”, an apt name as it is usually hidden by clouds.
We had lunch at Lake Tekapo and then crossed the plains into Christchurch.
It’s a mural!
Drove through several small towns on our way to Dunedin on the east coast.
Baldwin Street in Dunedin claims to be the steepest residential street in the world; it reportedly averages 1:3.41 (16.33° or 29.3%) for 161 meters but its maximum is claimed to be 35% for an unknown distance. My friend in Auckland said that when she was at University people would ride down it in trash bins. Apparently somebody got killed doing that so it is discouraged.
The train station is lovely.
Dunedin is home to the only dental school in New Zealand. It is commemorated by molar statues by the sea.
The road to Mt Cook was closed so we ended up staying an extra day in Dunedin. We were then scheduled to go on a boat excursion to see some wildlife but that too was cancelled due to bad weather. We did spend a lovely afternoon at Larnach Castle at the end of the Otago Peninsula. The castle was built by William Larnach and completed in 1874. Larnach had several personal and professional setbacks including the loss of his first wife in 1880, his second wife in 1887, and his favorite daughter in 1891. In 1898, he shot himself with a revolver. The property has changed hands several times since then and is now open to the public.
Drove through Arrowtown and Garston on our way to Te Anau. Te Anau is one of the entry ways into Milford Sound. When we got there we were told the road to Milford was closed due to an avalanche and they were hoping to have it open mid morning the next day. We all crossed our fingers. Luckily it did open up but just for one day. The day after we were there, it closed again and was closed for at least a week. The weather can be unpredictable and severe. It was raining the day we went and everybody said it was a good thing because there would be lots of waterfalls. It did not disappoint. As always, click for larger view.
It snowed overnight in Queenstown. Beautiful vistas. We took a minibus to Skipper’s Canyon. Skipper’s Canyon was once a booming gold mining area. The road through the gorge was completed in 1890 and much of it hasn’t changed since then. A dirt road with sheer drops, switchback curves, and very narrow. Kind of terrifying but wonderful at the same time. Gorgeous views. And there were no people. We were the only ones on the road. It was really the highlight of our trip.
Back in Queenstown we took a boat ride across the lake and watched some dogs watch a sheep shearing….
Up next: Milford Sound….
We flew from Auckland to Christchurch and got up early the next day to board the TranzAlpine railway. The TranzAlpine is considered one of the world’s great train journeys because of the scenery. It is 139 miles one-way, takes almost 5 hours, goes through 16 tunnels and four viaducts. The route takes it from Christchurch through the Canterbury Plaines, past the Waimakariri River to Rolleston. It then passes through the Southern Alps past the Waimakariri River gorge via Arthur’s pass and ends in Greymouth on the West Coast. We rode it as far as Arthur’s pass.
From there we were on a bus to Hokitika. Hokitika is a beach town on the west coast known for its Pounamu. Pounamu is also known as Greenstone or nephrite jade. The stone is important to the Maori culture. Not all Pounamu is jade. Pounamu can only be found in New Zealand whereas some of the greenstone found in shops is jade from other countries. There are many different kinds of Pounamu, distinguished by the color.Â
We overnighted in Franz Joseph and took a jetboat on the River Haast the next day. It was a rainy day and we were the last people allowed on the river due to high water levels. Lots of waterfalls.
The west coast is wet and tropical. As soon as you cross over the alps to the east, the climate changes quite drastically. Back over the Alps again and on to Queenstown.
Our first day in Auckland, we met my friends Louise and her sister Barbara for breakfast. I met Louise and Barbara and their family when I was living in Mexico. We went to grade school together. I hadn’t seen them for over 50 years. It didn’t matter. We had a wonderful reunion. Lots of fun. Their family owns two restaurants in Auckland – San Ray and Cazador. We ate at San Ray and it was fabulous.
From there we went to the War Museum which is more of a science and history museum. Interesting place, but unfortunately much of it was closed. Then on to the Art Gallery with was wonderful. Lots of impressionists. An exhibit of Louise Bourgeois – including a film of her being interviewed. A very interesting character. Saw some New Zealand artists as well.
The next day we took the 40 minute ferry to Waiheke Island. The island is known for its wineries. We opted for the hop-on-hop-off bus that gave us a tour of the whole island. Beautiful views and countryside. Lots of holiday houses. We at lunch with a view of the sea.
Back in Auckland
I arrived on time in Los Angeles. Picked up my bag. It was 2 pm. My flight to Fiji left at midnight. I couldn’t check in until 8 pm. No place to sit in the Departure area. Why are airports like that? Masses of people sitting on the floor waiting for check in to start. Couldn’t they just put in a bench of seats? Is that asking too much? I went downstairs to Arrivals. Lots of seats down there. Go figure.
After waiting in long lines, got to check in. Found the gate. My traveling companion’s flight was delayed. No sign of her. Final boarding call. I’m in line to board the plane. She showed up at the last minute. Whew!
We were flying Fiji Air. Flight was 9.5 hours. For some reason it was brutal. The food was not good. The service was great. Nice staff. Arrived in Fiji at 6 am. We time traveled. It was all of a sudden two days later. Or something like that. It took a while to figure out what day it was. Checked into the hotel, napped, watched the sunset, ate dinner, crashed.
The next day was Fiji Day. Who knew? Activities all day long. Dancers in the morning. More dancing and singing in the evening. Along with fireworks.
Signed up for a tour. First stop was the Hindu Temple. The largest one in the southern hemisphere. Women cannot go in with pants or shorts on so we all had to wrap cloth around us. They had a big pile at the entrance so you could take your pick. The temple was beautifully decorated.
We spent some time in the downtown shopping area. Mostly tourist shops.
Next stop was a village on the coast. We learned that cannibalism was common on the island and the European sailors originally called Fiji the Cannibal Isles. The sailors avoided disembarking there. Thomas Baker, a missionary, was killed and eaten in 1867. The soles of his leather sandals, which were also cooked by the cannibal tribe, are preserved at the Fiji Museum in Suva. The story goes that later missionaries arrived laden with all kinds of food in order to avoid being eaten. The small village was lovely and very well kept. There was a church at one end of a small square. Several women were selling trinkets on the way back to the car.
From there we went to the Garden of the Sleeping Giant at the bottom of the tallest mountain on the island. The garden was originally set up by Raymond Burr of Perry Mason fame. He apparently had a home on the island and loved orchids. It is famous for its extensive collection of orchids.Â
A lot of time in Fiji was spent by the pool. Totally awesome.
It was a cool day in August…
It has been a very dreary winter. Dark. Cloudy. Depressing. Yesterday the sun came out for a moment. It was pretty great.
