Limericks of our trip

Our limericks had us laughing and we hope you will too.

New Zealand Limericks 
A trip was dreamed of by chums
The planning was done by the mums
The world we did see,
And we can say with glee
We're not sitting home on our bums.

Our vistas have all been stupendous
The hiking and biking tremendous
We've not gotten lost
And our map we've not tossed
We're staying so money please send us.

Lady Jane and the rest of her camp
Ventured out in the bush for some tramps
The sand flies did bite
But to our delight
The glow worms shone like a lamp.

We’re here on the isle of the Kiwi

These folks don’t see tiny, they see wee

Where Beth is now Beeth

And west is called weest

Good grief how can this possibly be

New Zealand is tucked way down under

Our sense of direction’s asunder

They drive on the left

Our patience bereft

We try hard to not make a blunder

We can’t pass a souvenir shop

Cause John and Beth just have to stop

They handle the wares

The shopkeeper stares

And hopes for the cash they might drop

There once was a woman named Beeth

Whose ship got stuck on a reef.

She went for a swim on a lark

And was eaten by a shark.

Now the only thing left are her teeth!

There once was a sheep named Beeth

Who got grass stuck in her teeth,

She was feeling quite cross

Till she discovered wool floss

Now she sells floss made from fleece

There was a young lady from Perth

Who was puzzled by increasing girth

The doctor was called

And the mystery was solved 

When finally the young lady gave birth

There was a secular Jew from Wanaka

Who would not celebrate Hanukkah 

I would not be surprised

If he's not circumcised 

And he won't even wear a yamaka

There was a young man on a toura

Who drove the road to Rotorua

There was a opossum on a curve

But he did not swerve 

And now his car is covered in fur-a

We went on the bridge walk in Sydney

And the weather it was quite windy

Forrest said with delight

I've not seen a happier sight

Since I passed the stone from my kidney.

There was an old Doctor from Mound

Who went on a tour of the Sound

He could not float

So he went by boat

And wonderful beauty he found.

There once was a lady named Jane

Who wouldn't hike in the rain

So despite her youth 

She chipped off her tooth

And went to the dentist for pain.

Four old friends came from afar

To dine at the Waterfront Bar

They played in the quiz bowl

Their answers - abysmal!

No wonder their score was sub par.

Lady Jane went to Australia

The prime minister held her a gala

She caused quite a stir

When she claimed Queensland was hers

For Impersonating a Queen we'll jail ya!

She booked her ticket as Lady Jane

And was treated like a queen on the plane

The attendants did scurry

And said don't you worry

We know that you royals are a pain.

A trip was dreamed of by chums

The planning was done by the mums

The world we did see

And we can say with glee

We're not sitting home on our bums!

There once was a lady named Jane

Some jewelry she was to obtain

The opal was real

And Jane got a deal

He even threw in the chain

We planned on a trip to go sailing 

But the cyclone winds were wailing

We changed our plan

So we could play in the sand

Because we'd rather be safe than bailing!

We paddled Byron Bay in a kayak 

And struggled to keep us on track

Lady Jane was so brave

When we were hit by a wave

But she still ended up in the back

Beth and Jane, like Jonah, were cursed 

The weather they'd find was the worst 

For if with them you'd sail

You'd be caught in a gale

So please check the weather map first.

Forrest the guitar he played

But at home his guitar stayed

To keep his callouses tough

If he didn't play enough

Stops at guitar stores he made

Our car was surrounded by sheep

We didn’t see Little Bo Peep

The dogs moved the flock

Like a ship to the dock

The horn I did not have to beep

The glacier was high on the mountain

Green meltwater ran like a fountain

The number was soaring

Of waterfalls pouring

And really too many for countin’

Melbourne

April 5- Travelling Home! Good bye Australia!

April 4
We got up and got going. We had breakfast at Federation square which our hotel was nearby. We had to walk across the pedestrian foot bridge and through the Flinders street station, which is the hub of transportation for Melbourne. Federation Square also houses the visitor center. We decided to buy  a $10 pass to hop on and off a bus with a running commentary about the city in order to see the city in the most efficient way. Before hopping on we went to Hosier Lane, which is the most photographed street art lane in Melbourne. However they are everywhere. We saw them  creating the art walls also.

We then went to Chinatown and Greektown walking up Collins street and visiting the Block Arcade and Royal Arcade. These are older buildings refurbished to include many stores and restaurants.

We  then walked through town  on the way to the Queen Victoria Market, and stopped off at a store called "Books for Cooks" this gentleman helped us find a local chef's cookbook for Mark and provided suggestions for fine dining. This market was HUGE! They sold fruits, vegetables and meats along with gadgets, vintage ware and crafts.

We caught the next bus and travelled by the University of Melbourne to HArbour town and Docklands which is on the wharf and full of restaurants and stores and condos. We got tea and treats and then took the bus by the stadiums( cricket , soccer and Rod Laver stadium where the Australian Open is held, and got off the bus on the Sculpural bridge that highlights the history of Australia. We walked along the South Wharf Promenade. We went back to the hotel before going out to a place to eat on the waterfront. Forrest had flounder and I had snapper which were wonderful!!

 It is our last night in Australia, and we can hardly believe that our vacation is coming to an end. It has been full of adventure, wonderful people and interesting cultures both in Australia and in New Zealand. We will travel on the 5 th and get home on the 5 th. Hard to believe it is time to go home, however I am sick of wearing the same clothes.

April 3
This was another travel day. Went to the last hotel we hadn't visited in the resort this morning. They had a beautiful art gallery there and we saw some Anangu paintings from contemporary artists that were  stunning! We went to the Ayers Rock airport and their security scanner was broken, so they checked all the bags by hand which took awhile! We arrived in Melbourne in the evening. They have " ambassadors" at the airport that help you figure out where to go etc. They are so helpful!!

Uluru and Kata Tjutas in the Red Centere

 April 3
This was virtually a travel day to get from Red center to Melbourne. We landed in town about 8:30 pm and went to our hotel.

Most Amazing facts and learning from our time in the Outback:
*Over a million feral camels are on the outback. They were brought to help build the communication system and then let go to wander the land, but they have had an impact on the desert by drinking a lot of its water. There are also millions of feral cats and the Park systems have set up traps to catch them.Both these animals were introduced into Australia.
* There is a lot of water hidden below the ground that the Anangu seek and follow. We found two gorges where there was deposit of water while we hiked around Uluru. Rainfall is variable but the park has notices about flooding, which has occurred in the desert.
* They manage fires and the outbreak of a fire in the Outback with concentrated patch burns.
* the Kata Tjutas and Uluru are made up of red sandstone with feldspar and gravel, granite and basalt- very red rocks.

The Aboriginal people speak Pitjantjatjara (pit jan jah jarra) and Yankunytjatjara (yan kun ja jarra). There are 17 consonants and 3 vowels.

The Tjukurpa
Understanding this law for how the Anangu live is most interesting. Tjukurpa is the foundation of the Anangu life and society. Tjukaritja, ancestral beings, created the world and from it the religion, law and moral systems. They pass these stories on generation to generation- it is an oral culture. Dreaming or Dreamtime is often used to describe the way the Anangu and other Indigenous Australians see their origins. The Anangu land is mapped through the events of Tjukurpa and full of meaning. Where you are born, live and where you die is highly significant. So, they refer to several parts of Uluru as grandmother or grandfather because they are part of the land and identify with the land. Their moral life and the expectations for how they live and behave are passed on through the stories they tell over time. Many of these stories are written around Uluru and cave drawings depict some of the teachings as well. The Tjukurpa is also passed on through songs, memorization and dot paintings. Designs are sacred and you can't photograph the people working on them or the artwork itself at Uluru. They consider them sacred.


April 2
Today we had breakfast before going out to Uluru to hike around he Rock. We were on the trail by 9:30. It was 10.8 kilometers around the base of the Rock and it was 1000 feet high. There were multiple places to see original Aboriginal cave drawings. The Anangu have an oral tradition and nothing is written down so many of the stories are drawn though the use of symbols in the art to tell about the journeys of the people. They also have a staring moral code and their stories always have a moral to hem as part of their culture. We also found two waterholes amongst the Rock hidden away in the rocks. The Anangu follow the water and their nomadic lifestyle is due to looking for fresh water. Uluru had certain parts that were designated as male or female spiritual sites and photography was not permitted. Their culture is very much segregated by gender.

After finishing he tour around the base we walked to the Cultural center where we saw many Aboriginal people working. The museum retold the stories of Uluru and the history of the people.

Then we prepared to go the Sounds of Silence dinner to witness the sunset over Uluru. We had sparkling wine, canapés while we listened to an Anangu play the digerideroo. We also saw some traditional dances of the people. We were then led to our dining area. We were served sweet potato soup followed by barramundi, lamb, chicken, kangaroo, lots of vegetables and bush plums sauces. In between the main meal and dessert there was a star talker who explained he Southern Hemisphere sky. We were then able to look through a telescope during dinner to see he moon and Saturn. We saw four moons of Saturn and the two galaxies around Saturn. The skies were entirely clear full of stars. Our dessert buffet included a quondong dessert which is like a berry treat. They constantly topped off our glasses with wine throughout the meal. Our dinner companions included a couple from Sussex, England, a young man from Sydney who worked in the army, a young couple from the U.K. Who were now living in Sydney, and a young couple from the Northern Territory who worked in the mines and taught school. Very fun evening!

Desert painting as an art form as seen in this cave express the Creation stories (Tjukurpa). They generally are depictions of Tjukurpa stories. The Anangu (central and western Australian Aboriginal people) have responsibilities for the protection and teaching of the different Tjukurpa and there are strict protocols for imparting the knowledge. There are also strict rules regarding photographing some of the rocks of Uluru, because they are considered sacred sites and part of the Tjukurpa stories. Most of the drawings in the caves of Uluru called Mala and Kuniya.

April 1
We got up early to take in the sunrise in the Kata Tjutas and Uluru. Getting off the bus we were offered teas to accompany the sunrise. It was beautiful! The lighting in the sky is somewhat surreal. We then went into the Kata Tjutas and hiked to the Valley of the Winds. The red boulders were stunning, steep and beautiful. The guide pointed out many bush trees and birds and explained how the Aboriginal people or Anangu people used the trees to cure warts, fever etc. We saw bush plum tomatoes, the tree whose leaves smelled like Vicks vapor rub and the witchery grub tree where the women dig the roots for the little grub and rip off its head to eat it raw or fry it. We didn't try it😬
The land around the Kata Tjuta is barren and full of brush. To avoid a huge bush fire the Anangu patch burn areas so that if here were a fire it would not burn everything. We also learned that in the outback there are over a million feral camels!! They were brought in originally to help transport materials  during the construction of the Australian telegraph system and then also used to move people, mail, and the military. They wouldn't kill old camels and just let them go. The release of these camels were released into the wild where they thrived. We also learned that there are over 10 million feral cats in the outback. They were an introduced species and they would just be forgotten or ran away.

We got back to the resort and decided to go out to the camel station and learn more about them. The resort has a shuttle running between hotels and the camel station and staff accommodations. We also toured the art gallery and museum on site. We ate at the newly opened Mange at restaurant that night. It took an hour to get our meal. Needless to say they were working out the kinks of operation.

Note: In the early 1900s the land around Uluru and the Kata Tjutas was declared an Aboriginal Reserve. In 1950 Ayers Rock National Park was established followed by Kata Tjutas in 1958. In 1971 the Office of Aboriginal Affairs cited concerns about pastoralism, mining, desecration of site and tourism pressures on their land. The Aboriginal Land Rights Act of 1976 does not include the national park and it had to do that to keep it designated as a national park. It wasn't until 1983 the the Aboriginal Land Rights Act returned the title to the traditional owners and was then leased back to the Australian Parks and Wildlife Service and run jointly. In 1985 the title deeds were finally given to the Anangu- an agreement good for 99 years.

March 31
Travel day! We all got out of Brisbane successfully! Jane and John got out also and made their way home.We landed in Uluru and were transported to Ayer Rock Resort where we stayed at the Outback Pioneer. There are five different places to stay and a shuttle runs around connecting all of them. You can eat at any one of them. We explored the area and took in a demonstration of Anangu dancing on the main lawn. We had dinner grilling our own kangaroo, crocodile tail and emu on an outside grill.

Byron Bay to Brisbane

March 30
We got packed up and decided to go to Murwullumbah to see the regional art gallery before heading into Brisbane. We were staying in Brisbane for the night before flying out to Ayer Rock or Uluru. Jane and John were flying home the next day. It had started raining that morning in Byron Bay. We got to Murwullumbah and the art gallery was closed due to road closures. We decided to retrace our steps back to the main highway and make our way to Brisbane. Good thing we did!! Brisbane got 8 inches of rain in a matter of hours and we saw many flooded area on our drive north. We saw one guy kayaking the fields. There were times that Forrest could hardly see the road from the torrential downpour but we kept going. We finally arrived and we're so relieved!! We walked down the street for lunch in the blowing rain and then when we returned to our hotel, John and Forrest took the car back to the airport while Jane and I caught the news over tea and Tim Tams. We learned they were evacuating parts of Murwullumbah and the flooding was prevalent all on the east coast. ( We have learned since then that the flooding was the worst since 1954!! The rain kept coming so we spent the rest of the day reading and then at dinner time we pooled our resources for our last dinner together. We also devised our " Best of " list which was fun to do. Here is our summary of our time together:

Best meal- Red Hot Green barramundi dinner
Best buffet- Earnslaw overlooking Wakitipu lake
Best activity- jet boating on the Dart river
Best purchase- Janes opal necklace
Best drive- Queenstown to Glenorchy and Wanaka to Rob Roy glacier
Best walks- Kepler track, Rob Roy glacier
Scariest moment- driving to Brisbane/ Meeting the man from Basque region on the beach/ seeing the news of the weather
Best wildlife experience- Featherdale wildlife park
Best " best " break- phone call cancelling sailing trip in time , talking with a guy for 30 seconds and learning about proximity of Byron Bay and finding the Outrigger
Best photojournalist- John
Best stranger we met- Queenstown trio of guitarists in the park/ Basque man/ Dave and talk about fishing/ Rosie, Richard and John in Lord Nelson pub
Best view from our place- Queenstown
Best access to activities- Byron Bay
Best Plan B- Byron Bay
Warmest hosts- Tricia and Dave
Best city experience- Opera house in Sydney
Best live music- Guy Kachel in Byron Bay
Favorite wine- Sauvignon Blanc in Byron Bay and Forrest Pinot Noir
Favorite Beer- 3 sheets to the wind at Hero of Waterloo
Best new sweet- Tim Tams dark chocolate and taking the Tim Tam Slam
Best new fish- Hoki and Barramundi
Food to avoid- vegemite
New food we didn't try- Moreton Bay bugs

A

March 29
Today we got up early to witness the sun rise on the beach, and it did not disappoint. We then walked along the beach for awhile before returning home to fix breakfast. Around 10 am we went our separate ways. Jane and John went for a long walk on the beach; Forrest went to hunt for "shades" to go over his glasses since he lost those in our kayak tumble, and Beth walked to the artist community and industrial area. That was disappointing, but a good walk occurred. I went to the beach upon my return because I was so hot. The others returned within minutes and had lunch. Then I had lunch and joined Jane and John at the pool. Forrest listened to his new CD from a guy we heard he other night and took a nap, and John went into town while Jane and I read our books. It was nice to have a relaxing, do whatever kind of day. We walked into town for another great dinner and then returned home and watched the news. Very low key day.

March 28
We had breakfast in our apartment and then drove to the lighthouse on the most easterly side of Australia. We hiked up to the lighthouse and then down the path to a lookout areas. We were able to spot many schools of dolphins from the lighthouse, which was fascinating. On our way back up to the lighthouse, we also spotted a wallaby in the woods. We also saw sea turtles from our view overlooking the bay and sea eagles. It was like being in a menagerie.  We spent the morning inthis area and then went home for lunch before heading off to our snorkeling event. There are some rocks called Julian's Rocks that are actually sacred to the Arakall aborigines. You can't go on them, but here are some amazing coral reefs around the rocks and an abundance of fish and Sean turtles. We thought this was the next best thing to the reef. Unfortunately, after watching the introduction video they told us the northerly wind was too strong and they would have to cancel our trip. We decide do to let it rest. Seeing coral reefs and beautiful fish was not in gen plan for this trip. So with our towels and sunscreen on our bodies, we went to the beach and played in the waves. It was a beautiful day and we loved being on the beach. After getting home and freshening up, we headed back to find dinner in a place on the beach. We ate at the Fishheads restaurant Nadia we all enjoyed fish dinners. We also enjoyed the drumming and celebration of the sunset and had N opportunity to get some beautiful photos. On our way we home we stopped for gelato.  It was a great day!

 March 27
We ate some pastries we got last night for breakfast and then went into the information center in town. Marlene was so helpful. Our Plan B became our Plan A. We signed up to go kayaking in the Pacific Ocean in the afternoon. We had one hour to grab a bite to eat and get ready. Mikes picked us up and took us to the beach. There we lathered the sunscreen and got our mini instructions. They were sea kayaks but there was no apron. We were destined to get wet. We had to paddle very hard to get over the waves and once we were past them, it was pretty calm. There was a wind working against us on the way to Watergoes Beach. We looked for dolphins and sea turtles. We saw a little sea turtle and some sea eagles, but no dolphins today. We stopped on Watergoe Beach and had tea and Tim Tams- a wonderful Australian chocolate cookie that we dipped and sucked the tea through the cookies. It's called the Tim Tam Slam. Then we gott ready to  paddle back. Jane and John fought hard to get over the surf on the way out, and made it, but not without Jane being tossed back in the back end of the boat and legs flying high. Forrest and I did not have trouble getting over the surf at this point. We all had to kayak surf over the waves getting back to the beach, and Forrest and I did not lean back enough  or in time. Our nose of our boat did a downward dove and we were thrown overboard! Jane and John successfully made it.
We were dropped off at home and we went right into the hot tub before showers. We could taste the salt on our skin and feel it in our hair.

This evening we walked to the Rails for dinner- a recommendation from Mikes. We also had the opportunity to listen to guitarist Guy Kachel, who was fabulous! After that we picked up some groceries, returned home and got the update on the cyclone.

March 29

Today we got up early to witness the sun rise on the beach, and it did not disappoint. We then walked along the beach for awhile before returning home to fix breakfast. Around 10 am we went our separate ways. Jane and John went for a long walk on the beach; Forrest went to hunt for "shades" to go over his glasses since he lost those in our kayak tumble, and Beth walked to the artist community and industrial area. That was disappointing, but a good walk occurred. I went to the beach upon my return because I was so hot. The others returned within minutes and had lunch. Then I had lunch and joined Jane and John at the pool. Forrest listened to his new CD from a guy we heard he other night and took a nap, and John went into town while Jane and I read our books. It was nice to have a relaxing, do whatever kind of day. March 29

Today we got up early to witness the sun rise on the beach, and it did not disappoint. We then walked along the beach for awhile before returning home to fix breakfast. Around 10 am we went our separate ways. Jane and John went for a long walk on the beach; Forrest went to hunt for "shades" to go over his glasses since he lost those in our kayak tumble, and Beth walked to the artist community and industrial area. That was disappointing, but a good walk occurred. I went to the beach upon my return because I was so hot. The others returned within minutes and had lunch. Then I had lunch and joined Jane and John at the pool. Forrest listened to his new CD from a guy we heard he other night and took a nap, and John went into town while Jane and I read our books. It was nice to have a relaxing, do whatever kind of day.

March 26
We received an email from the sailing organization but no details, so we tried to reach them that morning. We decided to go to Brisbane as planned and then go from there. We knew we were not going sailing, but we needed them to cancel to get our money back. They called us while we were checking in our bags to Brisbane and told us it was cancelled. It is the end of the rainy season and people have said it is usually chillier now, but these unseasonably warm days have created a new scene. We arrived in Brisbane thinking we were going to head a bit north, but Forrest expressed he didn't want to go north. We talked with folks on the airplane and decided we would head to Byron Bay, where Brian had taken a surf school camp two years ago. We got our car and we're checking it for dents, when we saw the name of the car. It was called "Storm". We had to laugh- you can't make that up. We drove for about 90 miles and drove on the Main Street going into town when we noticed a vacancy sign. Jane and I hopped out of the car and went into the Outrigger. They could give us a 3 bedroom apartment at a reduced rate. The beach was in the backyard and it was walkable to town. We felt like we'd had some guardian angels!  We unpacked a bit and walked into town and ate at a fabulous place called "Hot Red Green". It was a BYO place so Forrest got us wine and Beer across the street and Jane, Forrest and I were happy.

Sydney, Australia

March 25
Today after breakfast we took the ferry, train and bus to go to Featherdale Wildlife park to see kangaroos and koalas in their element. All of the animals in this wildlife park were native to Australia- a sharp contrast from New Zealand! We saw marsupials such as koalas, wallaby, kangaroos, wombats, walleroo, and many native birds and reptiles. We got to feed the kangaroo and pet the koala who was sleeping. Koalas sleep about 18-20 hours a Day! We also saw a joey in a Mom's pouch which was a lot of fun. We all really enjoyed this park.
We returned to town. and went to the Rocks market where there were many artists displaying their wares. Jane, John and I shopped and Forrest returned to the Hero of Waterloo bar and listened to jazz. Both Jane and Beth found some opal jewlry which was fun.  We met up an hour and a half later. Then we started to look for dinner options and walked up to Lord Nelsons pub- the oldest pub in Sydney- and shared a table with Rosie, Rich and John, who were from St Gambia, Australia. They have a crystal blue lake from summer to fall in their town, which is really a caldera. Stunning! They were in Sydney to go to the Opera House and hear Carmen. We talked with them for about an hour before heading out in search of food. We then had a wonderful barramundi fish dinner at the Cafe on the Rocks and were talking about our upcoming sailing trip in the Whitsunday islands off Airlie Beach. Barramundi is Australia's most widely eaten fish. It was then that we started hearing the news of Cyclone Debbie and realized we needed a Plan B.

 Forrest, Jane and John were quick to create limericks to note the occasion.
" We planned on a trip to go sailing
But the cyclone winds were wailing
We changed our plans
To play in the sand
Because we 'd rather be safe than bailing!"

" We planned to go sailing from Airlie
With blue skies and sun shining fairly
There wasn't a doubt
Our luck had run out
Storm Debbie had hit Airlie squarely".

"Debbie was the cyclone's name
She promised to bring lots of rain
She ended our crew sail
But we didn't have to bail
For Byron Bay is where we came."

March 24
Today we had breakfast at the hotel and gen took the ferry across the bay to take a tour of the Sydney Opera House. The design challenge for the Opera House was won by a Danish man named Utzon, who sadly, never got to see the result of his work. It was started in 1956 and completed in 1978- 17 years to complete! Over that time there was a conflict with the architect and the engineers and politicians and a new team took over. It wasn't until 1999 at they asked him to re- engage in the future of the Opera House and his son is now working on.

There are 6 concert halls - three of them quite small and serve more drama fares. There is the large concert hall for music, symphony, and ballet and here is a dance theatre and drama theatre.

After the tour we waited for the rain to diminish and then walked to Town Hall to pick up our free walking tour of Sydney. The tour guide was delightful. She explained that she was a descendent of convicts and that her family had been in this country since the late 1700s. Many of the older buildings had been repurposed for retail space and there were many tunnels throughout Sydney underground the buildings filled with retail and restaurants. Queen Elizabeth building had been there since the 1800s, but acquired a statue and. Dog statue from Ireland, when they  broke free of England's hold on them. We also walked to a building that had a huge model city under glass in the floor. We walked on it and could really tell the scope of the city. Sydney has about 7.5 million people in it, including the suburbs.
After resting with a beverage, we went into the Rocks area looking for the Australian Heritage Hotel to enjoy kangaroo, and emu pizza. While we were sitting there the Premier from China  drove by in his police escorted caravan. The pizza was actually very good. We had the "Coat of Arms " pizza and the Australians we were sitting next to we're proud to say that they are the only country that eats the animals on their coat of arms.

Then after dinner we ventured to find Larry's recommendation, Hero of Waterloo bar to hear live music. It was fun and a very interesting old tavern. We took the ferry back to our hotel and went right to bed.

March 23
Well as I said, we sadly and fondly left New Zealand. We all really enjoyed ourselves and loved the country! We drove over the Crown Range Road through the Pisa mountains to get to Queenstown. We stopped at the Bradrona fence where there were hundreds of bras posted on a fence and a statement and request to support research for breast cancer. Across the road was the Cardrona hotel , which was developed in 1863 during the gold rush era and before they had a solid road there. The road is the highest sealed road in New Zealand. A man named Jimmy served alcohol in the hotel, but would watch how much people drank before attempting the road home. Inside the hotel, there was evidence of a mine shaft, old stone fireplaces and many antiques. They had a few rooms in this place as well. Adjacent to the hotel is an old school and church, where they still have music venues locally.
We arrived at the airport in time and said good bye to NZ driving  and hopped on he plane. We arrived in Sydney and went through customs. Both islands are very strict on what you bring into the country and provided many warnings to us to declare everything- we had to mention the shells and rocks we collected and the sheep fleese we got on the sheep farm. Jane forgot to mention hers , but they took my sheep fleece away. We took a cab to our budget 4 star hotel in Kirribilli, which was just across the bay from the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House.

Wanaka

March 23
Leaving  Wanaka to go back to Queenstown and fly out to Sydney. Can't believe we have been here a month! What a beautiful country! It has flown by! We plan to cross the range of mountains called the Crown range and over the Remarkables into Queenstown today, stopping off in Cardrona.
Should be a beautiful drive.

March 22
Today we slept in  and then did laundry no hung it on the line to dry. Forrest went into town and found a guitar store to play music and I walked around Lake Wanamaker into town, pausing by the lake to eat my lunch. Jane and John started off on bikes, but John returned and dropped his off before walking into town. John stayed and shopped while Jane rode home and the three of us are sitting in the garden relaxing.

I challenged the group to write a limerick for our trip and John and Forrest have been busy doing that. We are going to read them the last night together. Jane had already challenged us to get the best sheep photo and we have been working hard on that. I think riding through the sheep on the way to the hike gave us many photo opportunities. My phone died, however, because in order to use he outlets, you have to turn each outlet on each time and I had forgotten to do that when I plugged my phone in for the evening. Definitely- advantage John - for sheep taking photos.

March 21
We had a typical breakfast of homemade muesli, muffins, fruit salad, coffee and tea  looking out over the garden.and then took off for our hike to the Rob Roy glacier. We had to drive an hour to get there. The last 15 miles were on a unpacked road where we had to wait for sheep to cross, before proceeding along the road. Jane was in seventh heaven surrounded by sheep! We then struck out on the trail . We crossed a swing bridge over a rushing river and then the next 330 meters were all uphill! The trail was in good condition so that was a plus , and it followed the river the entire way. It was by far the warmest day we have had!

We wanted to see the Rob Roy glacier and there were two vantage points to do so. We went to the lower and upper views of the glacier noting about 10 plus waterfalls coming off the glacier. The glacier looked tinged with blue from the lighting. We ate our lunch on the rocks overlooking the glacier and then started our descent. Jane and John stayed at the lower view and we met them on the way down.  It was an absolutely beautiful hike and wonderful drive. We drove through an actual sheep station ( they call them stations and not farms) and saw the herder working his two dogs to move the sheep.

We talked with the B and B owners for awhile and then went to dinner at the Water Bar. They were having a Quiz night, and before we knew it, Jane had signed our crew up and given us a team name. For the rest of the evening we were Paul Bunyon's Children.  There were 9 rounds to the game. There were many questions about cricket, rugby and NZ politics , and despite our distinct disadvantage, we ended up tied for  10th place out of 16 teams. We were happy with that. While we were playing we also wanted dinner. Forrest took our order, brought us drinks, paid and finally a server brought our meals after waiting for 45 minutes to an hour. We did receive complimentary wedges for participating in the game. Then John cleared the table. You don't tip in NZ so maybe tonight we experienced a little less service than usual.

Note:  I'm so glad we didn't make the extra effort to go to the west side to see the Franz Josef glacier when we could hike this beautiful trail to see one. There are 10 plus glaciers in Mt. Aspiring National Park and we saw one of them. We also learned that NZ has 9 Great Walks and Forrest and I were on 3 of them- Tongariro, Abel Tasman and the Keplar. All worth the effort.


March 20
We drove from Te Anau to Arrowtown to have lunch. Arrowtown is very close to Queenstown. Jane drove this morning and did a great job. We stopped to get some sheep photos, but otherwise went straight there. In Arrowtown, many of the original stone buildings built in the 1860's are now used by stores. There is also a Chinese settlement in Arrowtown. Many Chinese were working in the goldfields and then when it panned out ( no pun intended) they created a settlement holding odd jobs. Forrest spoke to a local landscape artist and compared notes about projects, which he found to be si,IKaren. We have been noticing that almost all house have the tin or steel roofs. We have yet to find out why.

We then drove to Kawarau Bridge to watch the people bungee jump off this bridge 40 meters. Unbelievable! Not surprisingly, most of the people were young! We arrived in Wanaka  around 6 pm and have a garden suite and studio rooms in a B and B. Trish and Dave run the B and B and were very welcoming. The views from our room are stunning. We have a patio and beautiful garden to look at before our eyes rise to the mountains and Rob Roy glacier. Horses are wandering the pasture beyond our garden walls . It is gorgeous! Tonight Jane and I just wanted to stay home and eat cheese and crackers and fruit and veggies, so the guys went to dinner. We are enjoying a nice evening at home.

Te Anau

March 19
We decided to go for a hike on the Kepler Track today and picnic on the trail. It was a beautiful track in the bush, lush with ferns, sounds of some birds and overlook views of the Wairau river. We hiked from Rainbow Reach to the Motorau Hut and had lunch. We crossed two swing bridges on route, but mostly the path was in the bush and flattish. Throughout the bush there are poison boxes aimed at killing stoat because they are killing the birds of New Zealand. The stoats were brought in to kill the rabbits, but we know what rabbits do, and the stoats were not very successful. The kiwis are trying to manage the situation by setting up these kill boxes to try and get a handle on numbers of animals they have in a region. They also have possum boxes but they get a much worse death. The locals tell us deer used to be a problem, until they had people in helicopters with guns and they would mass shoot about 300 deer from the sky and then sell their carcasses to China. Now a majority of red deer are in deer farms which they raise for meat and velvet on their antlers.  The possum were brought in to establish a fur trade, but then they started destroying the forests, so they are being killed. Their fur is used with merino wool to make warm clothing, since the possum fiber is hollow and it traps heats. There are no other predators to take out the stoat or possum, so humans have to manage the situation.

Upon returning to town, we grabbed dinner quickly. John and Forrest had a combo lamb and chicken meal in which they presented it on a 450 degree slab of granite and it cooked on your table. They said the idea came from Australia Andy more restaurants are doing it. We then hopped on a boat and crossed Lake Te Anau to go in the caves and see the glow worms. The cave was most fascinating with a river tunnel cut through the mountain. We walked through the cave and then got on a boat in the pitch dark to float to see the glow worms. They are actually the larvae hitched to the roof of the cave shining brightly like stars in the sky. It was very interesting. They create these threads that dangle below them to catch sand flys or moths which provide them energy for 2- 7 days depending on the size of the insect. Mother Nature at its' strangest. Their life cycle is only about 11 months long.
We returned on the boat watching a beautiful sunset.



March 18
Today we got up early to catch our 7:30 am ride with Terry, our guide, to Milford Sound.
Terry was so knowledgeable and interesting. He had been part of a northern Alpine hiking club and had spent time in the bush, so he knew a lot about the mountains, plants, orienteering etc. We were fortunate because there were only 11 of us on the mid size bus. There were 3 Australians, both groups from the Brisbane area, two Swiss from a town in between Zurich and Lucerne, two Chinese from Beijing and the four of us from Minnesota. They were a great group to travel with, and we learned a lot from them as well.

We drove to the head of Lake Te Anau first as the clouds still covered the sky after last night's late shower and looked over the lake, before traveling the countryside by farmlands enroute to the Fjordlands National Park. The drive through the park to Milford Sound was gorgeous. The last 25 mikes are jaw dropping incredible! Milford only has sunshine about 60 days of the year and we hit it just right. As we went through Homer tunnel, the sun broke through and there was nothing but blue skies overhead.

After the view at Te Anau lake we stopped at Mirror lakes and walked through the paths in a beechwood forest and wetlands to look at these lakes with mirror images. We also stopped at the Chasm. The Chasm is where the Cleddau river literally turns on its side and knifes through rocks sculpturing them along the way. On the track there are two bridges one crosses and on the way back you can see where the river plunges down the ravine. It is like looking through a keyhole at the river.

In order to get over the mountain we had to go through it. Homer tunnel is a unique tunnel in that it was started in1935 during their depression years and only completed in1954! If a rock fell and damaged the entrance to the tunnel and in essence blocked  the tunnel entrance all people in Milford would be stranded. And Milford Sound does not have the infrastructure to support people for weeks on end, and there is no real alternative that is quick in getting people out of there. Interesting thought. Thebes's tunnel is made primarily from the granite of the mountain and is almost a mile long. It is unique in hat it has an incline or descent, which was interesting. So as we approached Milford, we are descending in the tunnel to the other side.

We arrived just in time for our boat ride on the Milford Adventure. Normally it holds 140 people but there were only 39 on our boat, which was great.  Right away we saw porpoises running alongside the boat and jumping in the air. They seemed to enjoy running and jumping by us. Then we saw the furry seals on the rocks who were laying around sunbathing and posing.
We also saw a rainbow colored waterfall among many waterfalls. The Sound is well protected from the Tasman Sea and you can understand how it remained elusive to many from the direction of the sea.

On the return we did a short hike to look at Marians Cascade, which is a beautiful waterfall descending from Lake Marion, which is a lake nestled under Mt Christina.

Note:The early Europeans named plants for how they tasted or smelled or they took the Maori name and translated it into English. There was a stinkweed plant, which really smelled like an outhouse and a pepper plant that the Maori used as an anesthetic by chewing the leaves. It was hot, spicy and numbing in the mouth.

Also on our trip the Chinese couple, Amber and Ryan, had travelled extensively to many places including Yellowstone. They said, "This is beautiful, but Yellowstone is Jesus Christ". They thought that was phoenomenal. They also kept a pet ferret and dressed it up. Other people have raccoons as pets.




March 17
We left our beautiful place in Queenstown and headed to Te Anau. The roads were winding but not too narrow. We stopped at several points to take pictures. Jane challenged us to a photo competition for the best sheep photo, so we looked for places that we could take a photo. Forrest enjoyed the three of us competing.

We stopped at Brackens for venison pie and salmon pie for lunch and then headed into town. Birch wood cottages is a couple blocks from the Main Street in Te Anau and close to the beach and Lake Te Anau ( pronounced tay ah no) Ray and Leonie are the owners of the Birchwood and he owns Fjordland journeys, which we booked for seeing Milford Sound. Ray used to be a sheep farmer and lived in the same house for 58 years until he divorced and decided the love of his life was a woman he had known for 40 years. The two of them married  and run these businesses. The cottage has two bedrooms, a lounge and kitchen and a separate toilet and sink area. It also has an apple tree with ripe apples and picnic table in the backyard. Forrest has eaten the apples and said it's quite good.

We walked into town and around the lake toward the river for a couple hours, which was beautiful. Then we went to dinner at a local popular spot and enjoyed a great meal before heading back.

Note: many rooms and many homes rely on electric heat for when it gets cold. It warms up pretty well during the day, but night can be chilly. In he places we have stayed they have had portable heaters in the rooms or hung on the walls for cold weather use, but the homes aren't insulated like ours.

Queenstown

March 16
We had breakfast this morning overlooking our beautiful view before walking to town. Jane  and I went into the first home built in Queenstown, which is part museum like and part art and gift store. It was fun to see it. Then we took the TSS Earnslaw steam boat to a former sheep station on Lake Wakitipu, which is now a demonstration site for how the farms worked. We had a huge meal on the terrace on the lake and then learned about the sheep herding. The farms usually have two working dogs- one called a hunt away dog which rounds up the sheep, and the other is a collie which uses his voice to intimidate the sheep and get them moving. They ran the sheep across the hillside as we watched. The farm had 20,000 merino sheep and 35,000 rowleigh sheep. The wool produced from merino  is used for clothing and the wool is very soft and light, whereas the other wool is rough and coarse and is used for household goods and carpets.The other sheep station, Mt Nicholas and this one provide most of the wool for the brand , Icebreaker, which seemed comparable to our Smartwool.

The steamer we travelled on is a coal fired steamer and the only one remaining in the Southern Hemisphere. We watched them load the coal and work very hard at stoking and shoveling the coal into the burners. The Earnslaw first voyaged in 1912 on the lake and took sheep and horses and people up and down the lake. By the way, the lake's name in Maori means sleeping giant because it looks like a man sleeping on his side. Interestingly, this is the year of the fateful Titanic, and we were told that maybe part of what happened to the Titanic had to do with a fire starting out first in the coal deck. ( We also noted on this boat the last of lifeboats, but luckily it wasn't an issue)

Upon returning to Queenstown we went to the Queens garden and met some young people from London, Germany and Quebec who were playing guitar. Forrest said that he would trade them a song for a song. So the guy from London started to play a song and afterwards, Forrest played a song and so it continued. It was a nice way to spend an hour and it gave Forrest a chance to work on his callouses. Jane had just been saying she wanted to hear live music, so she got to do that.

March 15
We drove to Glenorchy this morning to go on jet boats down the Dart river. We had to stop several times to take pictures, because it was so beautiful. In fact, the writer of NZ Frenzy called it Glen- orgy- it is so unbelievably beautiful. The road to Glenorchy wasn't built until 1962 , and it wasn't paved until 2000!

 We walked around a lagoon walk in Glenorchy for a couple hours and had lunch on the trail before heading back to catch our jet boat.  The town of Glenorchy was comprised of a few lodges and restaurants. In the middle of town is the jet boat operation. The jet boat holds about 12-14 people and is driven by skilled drivers. They have to do 120 hours supervised training and have psychological testing to ensure they can respond appropriately on the river. The boats can run in 4 inches of water and are propelled by sucking in water. The boats can turn on a dime and often he turned and did a 360 which sprayed us all. We went about 60 miles an hour and were told to hang on because it can be bumpy at times.We rode 40 kilometers or 25 miles into Mt. Aspiring National Park.

Two thirds of South west NZ are covered with beech trees and are a different variety from the US species. Te Wahipounamu World Heritage is comprised of four of NZ's national parks: Westland National Park, Mt Aspiring National Park, Aoraki/ Mt Cook National Park and Fjordland National Park..  Milford Fjordland was just on the other side of the mountains or about 10 kilometers from where we were, but it will take 5 hours for us to drive it.. We rode up the river as far as we could go and then turned around to head back to an area called Paradise. There were female little ducks with white heads and brown bodies sand the male ducks were all brown. Besides that, there was little wildlife seen. Supposedly there were some rainbow and brown trout in the river.

We then hiked in a beech forest, which had been used by a local farmer to graze cows and sheep, but can no longer be used due to its UNESCO status. That farmer now rents out his property to Hollywood. There were several movies and commercials photographed here besides Lord of the Rings.

On our return to Queenstown, Jane drove for the first time and did a great job. Forrest had been driving and both made the predictable error of turning on the windshield wipers when they wanted to turn on the blinkers. They are located opposite of what we know.

Notes: Jane is called Jen; Beth is called Beeth and Forrest is referred to as Forrest Gump. John is a well known name here.

March 14
We left Nelson and flew to Christ Church and then went through security again and hopped on a plane to Queenstown. It is located in the mountains and is a beautiful airport. Jane and John were there with a sign saying, " Kia Ora". Well, they were going to do the sign if they had had paper. At any rate, it was a welcomed reunion. We got our car and headed out to find our place on Earnslaw Terrace. We have two bedrooms, a bathroom, kitchen and living room overlooking a stunning view. We settled in and then walked 15 minutes down the hill into Queenstown for dinner.