28.02.10 Waterfalls and beaches..

We got up early and eager to visit the cathdral caves, some stunning caves....apparently. Apparently because we didnt get to see them, the beaches were shut due to a tsunami warning all around the pacific after the earthquake in Chile. Nevermind, waterfalls it is. First up, the Maclean Falls which were really impressive as seen above. Skipping a few closed beaches on the way we stopped at the next waterfalls - New Zealands most photographed - they must be impressive.... Not really, well a little but not as impressive as Maclean! Unimpressed we moved on towards Dunedin...

27.02.10 Curio Bay

We headed south towards the Catlins. This trip meant a bit of driving with lots of stop offs at beaches. Our first stop was Slope point, the most southerly part of main land New Zealand. Here we found a lighthouse made in Scotland, Mum and dad soon realised although they had travelled for days they had arrived in a place with lots of similarities to Scotland. Next we stopped at Curio bay with a petrified forest - fossilised trees. I had expected to see these standing in the water but actually it is a horizontal petrified forest.... more excitingly there were some penguins hopping about on the beach. Unfortunately this was where mum and dad discovered the other similarity to Scotland....the midges cousin, the sandfly, which loved Dad!! They had us hopping about all over the place so we moved round the headland to porpoise bay where we watched the waves crashing against the rocks, and the sealions crashing about the campsite.

That evening we stayed near the cathedral caves where we would visit in the morning....

26.02.10 Mum and Dad arrive

Mum and dad arrived in Queenstown. I was really excited to see them. Charlie and I took some time off work to spend some time and travel with them. The first stop was Charlies work! With such a great view up there we couldnt miss it. The luging races were great fun, close and as I remember it Dad just got it on the line in the final race..?!

15.02.09 Wye Creek Climbing

Climbing at Wye creek was just amazing, there are loads of routes to choose from but all of them have the stunning back drop of the lake. The 45min walk to the walls makes it a little harder but all the more rewarding. On this trip we had Kate with us and Charlie successfully lead a route outdoors for the first time which is fantastic for him.

We will definately revisit Wye creek for more climbing...

11.02.10 Gioia jumps

I could feel the nerves, my mouth was dry but I was ready to try to do the matrix jump - run, jump, turn and then shoot. I ran , I kind of jumped, I turned but then I quickly grabbed for the rope, perhaps hoping it would hold me up!! I screamed all the way!! Awesome fun with the scare factor!

11.02.09 Charlie does the matrix

matrix styleeeeeeeee.... pow pow pow.

09.02.10 Single Cone

We can see the Remarkables every day so today we said lets climb to the top. (We drove to the ski station - cuts out a lot of unnecessary walking!) It was a real scramble up and down. Once you get there you realise the remarkables are just one big pile of rocks and sometimes you wonder what is holding some in place!

On the way up we were using our hands and feet to scramble along the arete. At the top we had a quick lunch stop but could see the cloud moving in so kept going. The picture shows Kate inbetween single and double cone. Think it shows the scale and angle of what we were doing! From the middle of the picture we went down the couloir, this time using our hands, feet and our bums - obvious by the large rips in Charlies shorts!

It was a great mission, double cone next as we decided to save that one for another trip...

08.02.10 More Climbing.....

And swimming in freezing lake, wine tasting, frisbee golf and a ferg burger on the beach to finish it all of.. great day.

05.02.10 Moke Lake Mission

The mission - so following our cocktail night out we decided to go for a small bike ride (Charlies hangover included). The moonlight track follows a river around the base of Ben Lomand before arriving at Moke Lake and dropping down (via a black run mtb track) to the road back to town.

We set off on the 4km ride from town to the start of the track and quickly realised it was hotter and further than we thought, then a few km into the single track a local lady pointed out that we were following another couple that appeared to be struggling and basically checking if we knew what we were doing!

The scenery was amazing with mountains in every direction you looked, and a few beehives dotted around the 4wd track we followed for the second half of the track. We eventually made it to Moke lake were we stopped for lunch (4pm) and a brief swim before heading down to the road via lake dispute. To add to our water shortage concerns one of the bike derailers had bent and we still had the 15km ride back along the road to town... so we pulled in a favour and called our housemate to meet us at the bottom (with water and a car) and drive us back!

Awesome day, long day!

04.02.10 Christmas Cocktails

Jamie and Jo kindly gave us money to treat ourselves to cocktails. The 'coolest' bar in town is minus 5 so we thought where else would we chill out at the end of a 30 degree day. Ice walls, ice glasses, ice sculptures and vodka cocktails, and we had the whole place to ourselves! Following these cocktails we went to Bardeaux, another cocktail joint where I had a mojito - special because nobody else in queenstown has limes - there seems to be a lime shortage (apparently we are in the middle of the mountains with only two roads in and out!).

03.02.10 Climbing

Charlies climbing gear has been here for a while and he has been desparate to go but things hadn't gone his way until this week. After a few climbs at gorge road earlier in the week, I joined them for a climb at a crag at coronet peak. It was great fun but a little too close to the road so we took ourselves off to little thailand for a much more idylic setting on the shores of lake wakatipu. With climbing over there were small jumps into the lake - back another time for the 10m jump....

24.01.10 Lake Rere walk, Glenorchy

The weather has now been gorgeous for a few weeks running. With a couple of days off we headed up to Glenorchy. A circular walk along the valley made for a great day. Its was a really fun walk which wasnt too strenuous but rewarded with great views, a lake half way, which Charlie decided to swim the length of, and then a walk along the shore of lake Wakatipu at the end.

Charlie really enjoyed the swim, but was slightly scared at times when he could see ghostly trees below him in the water!

Next walk planned - the routeburn...

23.01.10 Jacks Point

This morning before work we cycled to Jacks point. Its a great easy ride along the edge of Lake Wakitipu. The weather has been gorgeous for the last week so trying to make the most of it. As you can see we quite like carrying our bikes even though cycling is much easier!

18.01.10 Wanaka

We joined some skyline friends on a trip to Wanaka. It started with some evening drinking which was lovely but it did make for a slow start to the next day. Charlie didn't feel up to a walk to Rob Roy glacier so we reached the compromise of 'Puzzle World'!! A few illusionary rooms to totally trip out your balance and a maze to walk around in circles for an hour in the beating sun - we loved it! Honestly it was really fun and interesting but a little hard going at points!

After this we enjoyed a picnic by the lake and then a cool off in the lake - I took some persuading to get in, but was thankful to Charlie once I did because it cured any remaining hangover.

12.01.10 Summer in Queenstown!

Remarkable aren't they! Especially with snow on them.......

05.01.10 Skippers Canyon

A day off biking mission in skippers canyon. We started by bombing down the canyon on the zoot trail, followed by a long cycle back up! Not satisfied we embarked on another trail which started with an hours cycle up to the top of Mt Dewar rewarded with a cruise on a grassy downhill. Unfortunately the grass took Kate down heavy on her shoulder. We still had the boring uphill from the devils creek - and what a long uphill it was - a lot more pushing than cycling involved here!

After 7 hours cycling we were very ready for a glass of wine when we got home!

31.12.09 Jet Boating

This gift was a fast and furious one - we decided to take a close shave with the kawaru river gorge in a jet boat. They jet you along the river flying within inches of the rocks and spining you 360 degrees past trees and onto water only inches deep. As you can see it was great fun.

29.12.2009 Birthday

My Birthday day was organised by Charlie - a very full day, starting with the evening before, a night watching Kora - a NZ band - getting down with the local scene! The morning started with a ride on the TSS Earnslaw across Lake Wakitipu to the farm for morning tea and a bit of sheep shearing. On our return to queenstown we went for some wine tasting with a picnic at chard farm and quickly back for a ride up the gondola, shoot down the luge track, watch the kiwi haka, eat dinner over looking queenstown and finally topped off with a 4 x 4 ride down the hill because the gondola broke. wow what a full day! Oh and as you can see the luging was pretty close but Charlie just took it at the finishing line...

25.12.09 Christmas Day

After opening a few presents and our stockings Charlie ran off for his christmas twelve hour shift so I went and hiked up a mountain with the girls. We started in the toilet bowl at the remarkables, walked along the ridge line - sometimes rather precariously on the scree and then down coal pit road. It was hard work so the evening was spent with BBQ and wine on the sofa. Meanwhile Charlie finished work at midnight and headed into town for a few drinks.

Definately a different kind of a christmas day!!

15.12.12 Milford Sound

Another fantastic Christmas present..... Milford Sound is NZ's top tourist destination and we are very close to it in Queenstown - only problem is there are mountains in the way so it is a 4 hour drive. The river banks were absoloutly covered in purple lupens and then a little further on water was gushing down all of the hillsides.

We decided to kayak along the water rather than the more relaxing cruise! They sold it to us when we knew we could Kayak into the waterfall. Its not as easy as it sounds - the force of the wind down from the waterfall and the chill of the spray makes it exhilirating and impossible to actually get directly under the waterfall.

The trip ended with another exciting journey guessing whether the petrol would get us home or not!! (it was past 10 and they dont do 24hrs in NZ)

04.12.09 On Your Bike

Following some generous christmas money we invested in a couple of hardy mountain bikes, we've done the lake trails next up the 'Vertigo' track! Awesome.

22.11.09 View from the window

As great as the van is, it doesnt have a bathroom so we decided to stay in a house for a while. With a view like this, its pretty awesome!

21.11.09 Ben Lomand

After arriving in Queenstown we thought it would be good to see it from above so we climbed Ben Lomand to be amazed by panoramic views. With snow at the top it was pretty cool, we used it as an opportunity to spot all the other mountains we plan to hike , climb, cycle!

25.10.09 Glacier Country

We arrived late in the evening and seeing the 'questionable' state of the spare tyre following 300 miles decided to camp it out under the glare of the New Zealands two glaciers... until we could resolve the situation at the local mechanics... unfortuntely the bank holiday meant a couple of days sleeping in the local car park!
While waiting we walked to the base of the Franz Josef Glacier and were wowed by the vastness. They are quite amazing and really made us try to recollect GCSE geography lessons! It just makes you want to touch it... but numerous signs and recent newspaper articles of people killed by falling ice was enough to keep us well behind the barriers.
The Fox Glacier was equally amazing with a different valley approach and enormous cliffs scarred by the monstrous power of ice and gravity. We carried on to lake Mathieson to see the 'view of views'... although it was closed - so we got by with the view next to the 'view of views' - a better view in our opinion and still of Mount Cook.
Onwards to Queenstown... and jobs, of some kind.

23.10.09 The West Coast

Moving on from Nelson we headed over to the west coast, another new area for us. The plan to discover the northern west coast and then head back over to Christchurch for jobs.

We drove up to the Operara Basin, checking surf spots as usual along the way. Some of the driving tracks have awesome scenery, twisting around the mountains and alongside the coast, also making for some scary roads. We stayed the night at a beautiful beach campsite and then headed to the limestone karsts in the form of arches and caves. The operara arch is a huge arch which as the guide book says - defies pictures! Unfortunately the bumpy tracks didnt do our tyres any good and we ended with a puncture - a moment for Charlie to feel manly and change the tyre.

We drove on down towards Rapenhoe stopping off at Pancake rocks, a set of amazing rock stacks and blowholes formed by the sea. At the local pub that evening we had the pleasure of being greeted by the landladies artful belching... a beautiful bunch!

Next we had a sudden change of heart, we were at the point of turning east to head for Christchurch when we thought, why not somewhere else - somewhere more exciting, more adventurous? Lets head for the one and only adventure capital of the world; 'Queenstown' - so we pushed on south past the greenstone and crystal waters of the Hokitika Gorge towards the glaciers.

21.10.09 Wine Appreciation Experience

3000 Vines, $200, 4 days of pain!!!

16.10.09 Kaikora and Nelson

From Methven we had meetings in Nelson to head for so we rounded back up the East coast. We stopped at Kaikora to check out the coast, surf spots and seals. There are seals all over the rocks around the headland so you really have to pick your route around the headland so as not to disturb them. We may head back here sometime and spend some money on whale watching but not at the moment. Point break galore - Charlie was excited by some of the surf spots we will probably come back for them too, when the conditions are better.

In Nelson we had a couple of interviews for jobs but unfortunately they are only for in the new year, as everyone is certain the new year is when work will be picking up again. It just means the adventuring can continue until then......

12.10.09 Arthurs Pass

Seeing the snow on the hills from Christchurch we decided to head for it.....Arthurs Pass. We didnt really know what was there, we just went for the journey and adventure, what an adventure we had. After a stop off at some huge boulders in the Kura Tawahiti Reserve which we tried tried to climb and failed, we found cave stream.

Cave Stream is a stream which runs deep into the earth in a cave. In their depths somewhere there are a number of waterfalls and eels. As the water only just reached our chests we decided that the DOC advice not to go in if it reached your chest would be conservative and so we opted to go in and see how it went, or as the Kiwi's would say 'she'll b'awight'. We packed 2 torches, an emergency light with an emergency battery and donned our caving gear (as pictured!)... what could go wrong. We waded in through the initial pools freezing in temperature due to snow melt and into the dark. It was so exciting, feeling a little dangerous but they have signs to it so it cant be that bad, then the first torch failed.... its ok, we will just get the other out of the bag, so lights on again lets continue. We are here at a bend, listening round the corner I think there is a waterfall, but no I can't see because the second torch has failed. My little heart started beating a little faster and I clung to Charlie! So we got out the emergency light and made the sensible decision to turn around and come back to complete the length of it another day with better batteries and torches......... awesome experience though.

After this our visit to Arthurs pass was a little more sedate, we met the local Keas, walked the Devils Punchbowl to see a waterfall and the Bealy Spur Walk for the view and the snow. We built a snowman and met the mice in the hut. We headed back through Methven to meet with Joey in the Blue Bar. There are two pubs in town one blue and one brown so it was easy to find her!

9.10.09 Dinner and David and Janines!!

On Friday evening as a break from vegetables and pasta, and our own wonderful company we went for dinner with friends of friends; David and Janine (and Henry the dog). Living in a suburb of Christchurch and overlooking the sea it was great to explore more of Christchurch and meet such generous and welcoming people. We enjoyed fantastic food and great conversation and unexpectedly the comfort of their guest room!! So following a dinner invitation we had landed ourselves on them for the whole weekend. From theirs we walked around the coast and explored Sumner and Taylors mistake, some lovely beaches and headland looking out towards the snow capped mountains.

6.10.09 Christchurch

We stopped in Christchurch for a few days to check it out as a possible place to stay for a longer with jobs.

The Art Gallery had some interesting exhibitions on so in the evening we decided to go to a free talk / demonstration about sound art. I'm glad we didn't pay to listen to a helicopter landing for about 45mins - what a load of rubbish, cant believe we sat through it for that long... I'd like to say I felt bad about leaving halfway through but in the interest of health and safety and my ears it had to be done! We checked out the arts centre market in the oxford college style quadrangle and indulged in the fab food stalls and waited half an hour for some awesome souvlaki. We sat by the Avon and watched boats punting up and down - Christchurch is a lovely place but also a strange idealised state of English cities!