Homeward Bound

Pete set the alarm for 05:00 but got up at 04:30 for a shower and tea making, which meant Alison was in the shower for 5 o'clock.
The remainder of the fruit bowl was consumed for "first breakfast" and the luggage was taken downstyairs at about 5:50.  The first shuttle bus to the station was due at 6:20, so we had 30 minutes to spare.  Took some photos in reception and went out side to see the New Year's Day crowd returning from the Victoria all-night flower market - we needed fresh air before our 20-hour trip home!
The bus duly arrived on time and did the hotel rounds picking up no-one else en route to the station where we arrived at 6:35.
Bought the train tickets for the airport express, obtained the refund on our Octopus cards and checked in at the station about 10 minutes before the two-hour deadline for our flight.
We then went down to the platform, where there was a waiting train, which whisked us to the airport in 25 minutes. Breezed through security and found ourselves at the immigration desk barely an hour after leaving the hotel - try doing that in London.
Second breakfast was had in the lounge at about 08:00 and we were called to board the plane at  08:45.
It seemed an age before we took off, as we were taxiing for miles along a bumpy road to the runway.
Breakfast number 3 on the plane and then got the bed out for sleep number 2.
Peter managed to watch 2 and a half episodes of the Lord of the Rings and was more interested in identifying which parts of the NZ scenery he could recognise than following the story.
Alison started to watch Lincoln and woke up when it finished.
Night flights seem to pass much quicker than day flights.
We landed on time, but at the furthermost outpost of Terminal one, so walked for 20 minutes before we arrived aty immigration and the luggage belt.
We picked up a trolley, relieved that we did not need a pound coin as we did not have one!
We failed to find the driver for our transfer to Gatwick, rang him up only to find that he had sold his business but had not thought to close down his booking website.  Never mind, we found the coach station, Alison had the foresight to buy some drinks (which gave her the pound coin we would need at Gatwick) and we setlled down to watch the sleet as we were driven to Gatwick.
The very kind lady at checkin said we were slightly over the limit for our checked luggage (actually it was 13kg over weight), but did not charge us as we were transferring from an international flight.
Alison fell asleep as soon as she had sat down on the plane, so missed her free coke.
We arrived on time and were pleased to see Simon meeting us in our estate car (big enough for all that luggage).  The automatic heating control had duly switched on the heating so we arrived to a warm house and found a newly completed wardrobe enclosing the hot water tank in the dressing room.
Cases left unopened until the morning!
And so to bed.

The Big Buddha

After a long sleep, we went down for breakfast at around 08:30 and enjoyed the enormous buffet on offer.  Afterwards, we hopped on a tram towards North Point terminus.  We wondered why everyone got off at the stop before the end, then, when the tram turned the corner, in front of us was a mass of people shopping at the street market!
The tram driver rang his bell and shouted obscenities, whilst driving at about 1 mph through the crowd.  Great fun to watch, better then being outside!
We strolled along the main road, which was, in Hong Kong terms, deserted as we only bumped into people every now and then.
We hopped back on a tram and alighted at Patterson street, finding ourselves at the World Trade Centre building where we had a cup of tea.  Pressing a random button on the lift saw us enter a complete floor of gaming machines! We resisted the temptation to try them and rapidly left to make our way to the Excelsior hotel, where we had to rendezvous for our afternoon excursion.
After a tour of Hotels, we eventually headed off on the expressway towards Lantau Island, where we were put on the cable car to Ngong Ping.

The ride took 25 minutes and involved three separate sections of cable, the longest one scarily stretching unsupported right across the bay.
Eventually, after two changes of direction, we arrived at our destination and were able to see the big buddha towering above us.  We collected a new tour guide who had arranged a coach ride instead of our having to climb up all the steps! (Alison breathed a sigh of relief after her climb the day before).
Once at the top, we were able to go around the museum, as well as appreciate how big the buddha really was (34 metres tall and 23 tonnes of bronze).

We then made our way to another monastery, where a new temple of ten thousand buddhas is being constructed, on our way to the fishing village of Tai O.
The fisherman's houses are built on stilts and amongst the dried fish in the markets was a whole dried shark!
Then another coach trip to the other side of Lantau to catch the "de luxe" high speed ferry back to Hong Kong Central.
Alighting from the ferry, we made our way towards Lan Kwai Fong, where we found the Hard Rock cafe in  its normally seedy surroundings. Not far away was a very attractive Thai restaurant where we enjoyed a  tasty meal, before heading off again down the hill and catching the tram back towards the hotel.
The area around the hotel was packed as everyone was heading towards the Victoria Park fair, which was continuing on into the night.
And so to bed for our early start tomorrow.

Misty views of ten thousand buddhas

Our day started after showers in our room and the usual cuppa.
we left shortly after 9am from Tin Hau MTR station to make the journey to Sha Tin station; this involved changes at Admiralty, Mong Kok and Kowloon Tong, the first two were quick cross-platform changes and the third was a long walk punctuated by escalators.
Our guidebook said that to find the temple, all we had to do was follow the signs from Sha Tin.
We searched the information map and looked around all the station exits to no avail.
Soon we saw two young men who looked like visitors, who told us they had just returned from the temple and pointed out the way to us.  "The sign" was at least 400 meters from the station!
The weather was drizzly, but mild, which was not a problem as we had 400+ steps to climb!

On reaching the top the climb had certainly been worthwhile!  Some fabulous decorated buildings, including the main temple, which apparently does have more than 12,000 miniature buddhas decorating the (not to be photographed) walls.
Unfortunately, we were unable to fulfil Graham's request for some mist-less views from the top!
We had some tea and vegetarian snacks at the top and then made our way back down via the bus station of course, where there were various buses on display.
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Back to Central via the same route to do some shopping and once again, all of the connections took less than 5 minutes, but all the trains were very crowded.
We finished off with a visit to the Victoria gardens flower market, which is set up for the lunar new year.

There were hundreds of stalls and thousands of people milling about, with all manner of floral offerings and other goodies to enhance the celebrations.
When we arrived back at our room Peter's wallet was missing, presumably "lost" on one of those very crowded MTR trains. Fortunately there was very little cash inside and only one debit card.
But a 30-minute phone call was needed to navigate the tortuous process required to report this to the bank, which insisted on transferring us three times and putting us on hold despite the fact we were making an international call from a mobile. The call probably cost more than the value of the lost items!

A complimentary bowl of fruit from the Hotel manager was a welcome gesture.
Now a Police report form needs to be completed (on the internet).
Tomorrow we visit the Big Buddha at Lantau and will try to keep all our possessions intact..

Our last day in New Zealand

Up a little later and some leisurely packing enabled us to leave our room and pack up the car before 10:00.  We went for a lakeside walk in beautiful sunshine and returned to pick up the car and go for a short drive to use up the last of our petrol.
We reached Edith Cavell bridge over the shotover creek another wonderful location, where we had coffee and a very hot chocolate and strawberry muffin.
We watched the jetboats skimming up and down the creek.

We reached Queenstown airport with less than 10km of fuel left and then negotiated with hertz over the stone chip which had cracked the windscreen; we will need to claim on our excess insurance policy.  The helpful Air New Zealand checkin clerk booked our luggage all the way to hong Kong, so we were able to relax  in the lounge (for five hours) when we reached Auckland.
The journey from Queenstown passed over some of the most scenic mountain landscape, showing parts we could never reach!
 We had a shower before boarding the plane for Hong Kong. The  usual pre flight drinks and perusing yet another menu (so far they have all been different) and we even managed to have some Cloudy Bay with our Snapper!
It was candle-lit breakfast for two on the plane, as Peter sat opposite Alison on her "ottoman", cum leg rest.
We were relieved to see that our luggage had arrived and even though we checked in at our hotel at 7:00 am, they managed to find us a room!

Darting about

Up at 6 this morning and an early breakfast for our 7.30 pickup on the main road.
for the next 45 minutes we were driven on very scenic route to the tiny village of Glenorchy (pop 200), where we checked in for our Dart River Wilderness safari.
We were given our wet weather gear and boarded a "bus" - Alison commented "thought we were going on a 4x4!"  Actually it was a 4x4 bus, as we realised when it drove across the river.
After a very bumpy 30-minute drive we arrived at upper base camp for our forest walk amongst the "false beech" trees.
We were told that the botanists who visited NZ completely "lost the plot" when it came to identifying NZ species.  We were shon the three varieties of indigenous tree, some being over 1000 years old.  becasue there is no subsoil the roots force up the trunk of the trees above ground, following which they begin to rot from the inside.  We climbed inside one such tree, before finding a Hobbit's chair which had been left behind by Warner Bros.

Then followed the 90-minute "white knuckle" ride back on teh jetboat, which can do 60 kph in water 10cm deep and frequently did.
Counting uo our position in the queue, we reckoned we would be in the back seats of the first boat, but were lucky enough to be in the front seats of boat number 2.  Although the weather was cool (and the glacial water around 6 degrres) the handrails we grasped were heated, so it was more of a red-  than a white- knuckle ride at times.
We were splashed by the abrupt 360degree turns and had to hang on tight and cover the cameras.
We were given a short time to explore the village and have a cup of hot chocolate, after which it was back on teh coach to the hotel and start the repacking for our flight to Hong Kong tomorrow.
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A Funny French Afternoon

There was snow on the hills this morning after a cool and wet night.  We needed to switch on the heater as the temperature here was around 11 degrees.
After a very full continental breakfast, we set off on the shuttle into Queenstown and took a ride on the gondola to take in  the view of the city and lake.

The weather was improving all the time.
When we returned to the hotel we had a quick sandwich and then we met by Julie from funny french wine tours, for a chauffeured  tour of the mid Otago wineries.
We started with a small cheese maker and tasted some delicious cheeses, one of which we bought to sample later in our room.  Then it was on to four other boutique vineyards with a running scenic commentary as we went along.  Julie clearly knew all of the producers personally and had chosen some fine wines for us to taste,  We also took in Roaring Meg hydroelectric power station and a cafe on Lake Dunston, an artificial lake constructed for the power station at Cromwell. Heads turned when whenever we arrived in our 2CV!

Back to the hotel for a quick break and then out again for a gourmet meal at "Rata", a superb restaurant which had been recommended to us by the vintners; it certainly was a memorable meal.
Early to bed for our 7.25 pickup tomorrow.

A Doubtful Sound

We had an early breakfast, packed an overnight bag plus swimwear and thanked Roger and Wendy for their hospitality.  We drove back through Te Anau and made our way to Lake Manapouri, stopping on the way to take a photo of the lake.  We drove through the town and followed Wendy's instructions to drive to "Pearl Harbour",  where we checked in, having parked in the long stay car park.  We collected our packed lunch and boarded the Titiroa for the 45-minute journey across the lake (at 23 knots) to the hydro-eloectric power station jetty at the far end of the lake.
The weather was cloudy, misty and much cooler, but this was to prove an advantage.
Having viewed the exhibition which described the seven turbines, each producing over 100 MW of electricity, which are driven by the water flowing from the lake, we were collected by a coach which took us the 22Km  over the scenic Wilmot pass (1:5 in places on an unsealed road)  to the Jetty at Doubtful Sound, where the three masted Fiordland Navigator was waiting for us.
The enthusiastic crew greeted us with tea/coffee and hot muffins (why had we needed a packed lunch?) and briefed us on what would be happening over the next 24 hours.
We set off down the sound, which was swathed in misty clouds and after a short trip, paused in "crooked arm" for our activities. 
The energetic ones took to the kayaks (it was necessary to be fit enough to paddle for 2km), whilst those of us with a more leisurely bent chose to take a nature appreciation trip on the tenders.
We saw albatross and dolphins, whilst our guide explained the way in which trees were able to grow on an impermeable rock face.
First comes the moss, which traps moisture, then the ferns, which grow amongst the moss, and this structure is then able to support the root system of small shrubs, which can then allow the larger trees to adhere to the substructure. 
Our guide had worked as a botanist in this region for 10 years and only recently had he witnessed two "tree avalanches" which occur when the trees become too heavy and the whole structure collapses, leaving a smooth rocky vertical face, which can take many years to regenerate.

This Rimu is strong enough to grow out almost horizontally from the rockface.
After the kayaks and boats were back in the "Navigator" we were able to have a swim in the lake.
Peter did a belly flop and Alison descended the ladder!  The water temperature was around 16 degrees - cold for some, but warmer than Guernsey seas.  We were rewarded by soup and a roll, then the ship sailed out towards the Tasman sea, where we saw "fur seals", which are actually sea lions, basking on the rocks.
The mist was descending and the atmosphere was eerie.

It was a perfect evening for Doubtful Sound - the moisture from the mist swelled the rainwaterfalls which spouted out all around us.  We anchored in "First Arm" for the night and had an excellent hot buffet dinner, followed by a fascinating geology lesson with slides, which explained how New Zealand had been formed and then how Fiordland had been sculpted by the ice-age glaciers.
We woke to the sound of the engines being started and the anchor being weighed at 6:15 on another misty morning and took a trip down the Hall arm, noticing how all the springs had swollen as a result of the overnight rain.  We spotted a crested penguin fishing in the sound; when  we reached the end of the arm all the engines and genrators were switched off and we  listened to the "sounds of silence in the sound" - all of a sudden we could hear birdsong amidst the rushing of the waterfalls.
All too soon it was time to return to the jetty and board our bus for the return journey.  The clouds lifted just in time for us to catch a final glimpse of Doubtful Sound at the top of the Wilmot Pass.

We concluded that this trip is a "must do" on any visit to South Island.  Then off to Queenstown for the next stage of our adventures!

The Kepler Track

All the guests were together for breakfast this morning, which was again of the high standard we have come to expect from everywhere we stay.  Our hosts had suggested that we explore Milford Sound, but as that involved a 240km round trip, we decided to do something nearer to home.
The Kepler Track was suggested as involving some easy short sections which are accessible by car.
We made the short trip to the DOC (Department of Conservation) information site in Te Anau and picked up some free brochures.
We then drove about 2km to the start (and end) of the Kepler Track. The full walk is about 60km and rises to 1000m above the lake, taking four days and involving stays at mountain huts on the way.
 However, we were able  do a short 1.5 hour walk to Brod Bay, along a shaded forest track, with ferns , moss and magic mushrooms for company.

The walk back took us just over an hour, as there was less photography involved.
We then drove about 15km to Rainbow Reach, where we had to negotiate a rough unsealed road (don't tell Hertz) to reach the car park.  We then crossed over a pedestrian suspension bridge over the river Waiau.  Underneath, jetboats roared past giving us a flavour of what we will be doing in Queenstown.
After a short walk up to a viewpoint on the track, we returned to Te Anau where we saw the 30-minute Fjordland film, which included some amazing shots of inaccessible parts of new Zeland as seen from a helicopter.  It was derived from the promotional video made to persuade Hollywood to choose this area for the filming of Lord of the Rings.
Back to the guest house to chill out and try the "spa bath" in our room - a wonderful, if rather hot, experience to soothe the aching muscles.
We watched the gathering clouds indicating rain perhaps tomorrow for our Doubtful Sound cruise.  The locals say that a bit of rain will swell the waterfalls and improve the experience, even if we get wet in the process!

Wanaka to Te Anau via Bungy Bridge

Once again we had morning tea in the garden and then went upstairs for a community breakfast at 8.00.  Blair was cooking and substantial meals were consumed!
We then bade farewell to Rosie, who was off to her work a a district nurse.  Pete found a barber's shop and Alison atrolled around town trying to find a shop that was open, but ended up at the I-site
Haircut duly completed, we set off along the Cadrona valley towards Queenstown.  Ther were many more spectacular views en route.

We drove a short way back along the main road to visit the first bungy bridge in the world over the Kawarau river.  There was a queue of brave mad fools waiting to jump!

We then diverted to Arrowtown, an old gold mining village, dating back to 1886, with all of the traditional buildings beautifully restored.  On to Queenstown, where we drove straight past what might have been the last petrol station for 180 km, with about 170km of fuel left.
So a quick turn around and $30 of fuel added before we made our way to Te Anau. 
Of course, there were one or two petrol stations, but we could not have been sure.
We arrived at Te Anau at about 5pm and called into the town to confirm our Doubtful Sound cruise. Then on to Deunluce, where we were greeeted with a cup of tea and cake.
Back into town for an italian meal served outside in the warm evening, accompanied by strains of Pavarotti and Bocelli.  The best sunset we could have seen was hidden behind the mountains!