Update from cold Queenstown

Fox Glacier, Mt Tasman at the top

Looking left at Fox Glacier

Breakfast at the Fox Glacier (in back) terminus

Enough said

Gillespie Beach camp

Haast Pass on the way to Wanaka

Town of Wanaka, NZ

Supper at "the Cow", Queenstown, NZ

Queenstown is a lot like Banff .. a ski town of 10 000 people ... Nick says mostly workers for the outdoor activities.

Update from Greymouth, NZ

We drove along the west coast of the south island today.  Lonely Planet says it is one of their top 10 picks for a drive.  It reminded me of the PCH in California.  Tomorrow we head south to the glaciers.

A tramp to Harwood's Hole near Takaka, South Island, NZ

I am not hanging on for dear life ... enjoying the sun

"Living in a van down by the river" (for one night) ... thanks Chris Farley (SNL)

Shoes on a fence in Takaka ... Bob (a local) says that he has no idea why they are there, just a quirky NZ things

Sunset at our campsite near Karamea on the West Coast

A new moon (and Venus) over the beach at Karamera camp

Beach at Karamera campsite

Single click any photo to enlarge

Crossing Cook Strait .. Monday morning (NZ time)

Crossing Cook Strait

Cook Strait to land ... the South Island

Picton, NZ

Marlborough Sounds, NZ

here are a few pics ... I have over 700 now !

sea shells

Nick with coffee cup

On our way to Cape Reinga

Near the Cape Reinga

Cape Reinga

The Lighthouse at Cape Reinga

The Pacific meets the Tasman Sea

Pat's tracks on the black sand at Muriwai Beach NW of Auckland

A big wave near Nick, Muriwai Beach

Nick's good deed ... diving for a lost bracelet

Pat at Angel Falls ... 45 min walk from road toward Auckland

Our campsite at Broken Hills gold mine ... we were the only one there

We hiked 3 hrs to walk the 0.5 km mine shaft

Hot springs at Rotorura

Hot springs at Kerosene Creek south of Rotorura ... Mike from Ireland told us about this.

Old volcano of Tongariro Nat. Park ...  Lord of Rings (LOR) used this mountain

Same park ... you know this as Modor Mtn from LOR

An ancient volcano from our campsite at sunset (5:45 p.m.)

Volcano on our 19 km hike ... "the crossing"

Mordor in the back on the crossing

The Emerald Lakes at the base of "Mordor"

Update from Motueka on the South Island

Hi everyone, Nick and I made the crossing across Cook Strait this morning to the South Island from Wellington after a long day of hiking in Tongariro National Park.  We hiked 19 km on the Tongariro Crossing, one of the "worlds great walks" according to the Lonely Planet.  We arrived in Wellington late Sunday night and were at the ferry at 7:20 a.m. today.  As a result of our late arrival in Wellington we did not get to drop in on Becky (Jean's granddaughter)  :-(  . 

All is well and we begin our "tramp" around the South Island (a.k.a.  the mainland) tomorrow.  The weather is grand ... highs of 19C and lows of 6C but sunny each day.

Cheers !

A post from the camp laundry room at Muriwai Beach

Nick and Pat at Wharangei Falls

Nick at a local Micro Brewery (ANZAC poppy shows)

Quintan, Nick and Collin

We got stuck driving on Bayley beach ... Collin towed us out

Pat & Nick with the Four Sisters (Kauri Trees)

On our way to Cape Reinga... sand dunes in background

Cape Reinga ... most northern point of NZ

Lighthouse at Cape Reinga

The Tasman Sea meets the Pacific Ocean off Cape Reinga ... fighting currents!!

Pat in front off the oldest Kauri Tree in NZ ... diameter = 15 m

NZ sand dunes meet the pasture land

NZ  sea shells .. quite small

Crowning the sand...

Nick with morning coffee at Rarawa, our DOC campsite.

Ninety Mile Beach

Ninety Mile Beach

Driving on Ninety Mile beach at sunset

Supper after dark at our North Head DOC campsite

Our campsite at Whangaruru, North Head

We climbed St Paul's Rock

NZ favourite plant ... it is every where.

A ban on drinking??? It is true and is in effect in many towns.

Glow worms on the ceiling of the caves at Abby Caves

Nick going into the Abbey Caves with his torch ... I follow behind