Dolphins

November 25, 2010

Today I swam with wild dolphins. Jason didn't want to so he just viewed them. We boarded the dolphin Eco tours boat at 9am in Picton, which is half an hour away from where we were staying. Leaving the dock in the Marlborough sounds, we spotted a pod in about ten minutes. We were given specific instructions and were told to get in the water and make humming noises. They swam so fast. I caught a glimpse of one really close under me as it swam past. I tried to get a picture but it swam so fast...


The law only allows for four times in the water, so after that we took off our wetsuits and just watched them from the boat. There was actually four pods and even better views from the boat. Some of them playfully followed the boat, jumping in the waves we made. A couple other ones swam in front of us. I have never seen so many dolphins in my life! It was amazing to see them in their own environment where they belong!


After the tour, which lasted a couple of hours, we had lunch and walked around the cute little town of Picton, which is where the interisland ferry launches from to take people and cars over to Wellington on the north island.

Afterwards, we drove back to our accommodations and went swimming. Then, we went to dinner. This was out last day on the south island...

Next: Wellington and the north island


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Wellington

November 26, 2010

We woke up and left the vineyard for our flight late morning. After dropping off the car, we waited at the Blenheim airport for an hour and a half for our quick 25 minute commuter flight to the north island: the city of Wellington. The plane sat about 19 people, with an open cockpit. It was a new experience flying on such a small plane that you could see out the front where the pilots were.

When we got to our accommodations, it was only noon, so we left our bags at the front desk and went to explore the city. Cuba street is the big area for restaurants and shopping so we ate there, then visited the te papa museum, which is the biggest and best museum in New Zealand. The next stop was the cable car, which we rode up to the top of the hill, had a look around and then took it down. Now we can say that we've seen the sights in this city. I almost feel like I am back in a smaller version of NYC. It's definitely not
my favourite part of New Zealand by far. Our apartment is really nice, new and modern, though...but no laundry facilities and we need to wash clothes...

Next up: matiu somes island tour, another massage and a play


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High thrills and vineyards

November 24, 2010

We checked out of our hotel near Nelson fairly early, heading towards the centre of Nelson for a quick breakfast. Parking in the centre of town, we found a little bakery cafe for capuccino and a bagel.

Since we were early, we had time to stop at Happy Valley Adventures for the skywire ride, which is a giant zipline high up in the mountains. It wasn't scary at all, but nice, zipping high through the valley and then backwards.

Then, it was on to Blenheim, right in the heart of New Zealand's wine country, where we started off doing a wine tasting tour on bikes. We were fitted for bikes and gear, then given a map of wineries and a little info about them, then we were off on our own. Riding alongside the gravelly road where cars are speeding past you was not the best experience, though once getting to each winery, it was worth it. We stopped at three wineries and it was unanimous between us two that the Sauvignon blanc 2009 and the rieslings were the the best everywhere. At Highfield winery, we had a cheese platter, while sitting outside, where there was a beautiful view of the vineyards.








Having had enough of the street riding, we came back early, dropped our bikes off and went to our accommodations, which is on a vineyard. Our cottage is called "the stables" and is very nice.

For dinner, we drove into town and ate at a great place called "scotch". Then we walked around the town and down by the river. It was only 7 o'clock and everything was closed. Living in New York, it's hard to imagine places actually closing early....

Next up: swimming with dolphins


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Abel Tasman: sea, air and land

November 23, 2010

Driving to Abel Tasman park, we almost got lost. Our GPS system wasn't working very well and was telling us to turn around even though we realized later on that we were going the right way. We were totally late for our sea kayaking trip and I was starting to get stressed out. When we found a phone booth, I called and everything was fine.

When we got there, they gave us all of our gear and our guide, Hannah, got us all ready. Then we were off, paddling the sea in double kayaks. Jason and I were arguing at first because coordinating a kayak with another person was a little harder than it seemed, but after a little while, we got the hang of it and got into the groove (sounds like a Madonna song..haha).








We paddled for a couple of hours, then stopped at a sheltered beach for lunch. After lunch, the water taxi picked us up to go further up the coast (Abel tasman park is all on the coast so you have to take water taxis to go further). Once at bark bay, we were dropped off for a couple of hours so we could hike the trails around the mountains. The path we took was supposed to take two and a half hours, but being new yorkers, we finish it in just over an hour and a half, without rushing.












The water taxi picked us up afterwards, where we had to walk pretty far into the beach because it was low tide, so the water had receded very far out. I had never seen anything like it. When we got back to the town of marahau, where we had started, the tide was so low that they got a tractor to tow the boat back to the base. It was a first time for me riding a boat on the road, on the back of a trailer pulled by a tractor...haha.

Once back, I had to call Tasman sky adventures to make sure that we were all good for my microlite scenic flight. All was good, so we got in the car and drove to motueka, which was a 20 minute drive back. I didn't have time to be nervous about doing something that I had always wanted to do...

We arrived at their hangar, which was at the motueka airport. Trevor, the owner, and Mitch, my pilot, greeted us. They were very personable and made the experience that much more enjoyable. I was outfitted with a flying suit, gloves and a helmet with a microphone attached, so I could talk with Mitch while we were flying. My camera was hooked onto me and they pulled the machine out. I got in first and then Mitch got in the seat in front of me. Then we were off. Mitch talked to me the whole way. It was such an unbelievable experience...we flew over a little of Abel Tasman park (he was trying to find a stingray or seals to show me, since we hadn't seen any in the park).

(pictures to come)

We landed on a strip of grass right next to the runway (they don't ever land the microlites on the runway). I couldn't believe that I actually did it. It made my year...

Next, we had dinner in the town of Motueka at "the gothic", which is a restaurant in a converted old church. Jason had fish and chips and I had the most amazing tofu steak. Then, we headed back to the hotel.

Next: wine tour

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Caves, tubes and winding roads

November 22, 2010

We woke up early again to get on the road to be at the caving office by 8:30am. It was in a small town named Charleston. There was only three of us going on the underground rafting tour so it was a very personalized experience. There were a few other people with us on the van and then the little rainforest train (which takes us close to the cave entrance) but they were just going to see the gloworms.



After riding the train, we got off and walked a short path over to an open area of the forest where we got dressed up In all of our wetsuit gear. Then we were off to the cave, stopping once to grab our inner tubes. It was about 130 steps up to the cave entrance. Once up, we had a short discussion about the cave system (it was only discovered in the sixties) and then proceeded down into the cave. There were various stops to see stalactites and stalagmites one the way down. We even got a chance to drink some fresh cave water...








Once all the way down, we reached the water. Our guide, Louise, linked us all together on our inner tubes and floating us backwards down the river. All of the torch lights were turned out and we stared up in the pitch blackness to see all of the gloworms. It was a truly amazing sight to see...

As we flowed out near the sunlight, we got out for a minute for a few pictures, then got back in the tubes and flowed down the outside river, over a few small rapids and down to where we started. Once back to the start, we changed, got back on the train and were headed back to the office. What an awesome experience!

We got back in the car and drove to Nelson, our next stop for the next two days. Along the way, we stopped to see a seal colony and then for an iced coffee in the small town of westport.

Dinner was at a nice restaurant in our hotel, the orangerie.

Next up: Abel Tasman park kayaking and my microlite flight...


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Glacier hike and moving on

November 21, 2010

We woke up early before our hike, which was at 8:45am, thinking that the little village of franz Josef would be hopping early since everyone comes here to hike the glacier, but when we went out walking at 7, it was like a ghost town so we went back to the "hut".



At nine, we got ready for our hike. Once the guides told us what to do, we got all of our gear and were off to the glacier. From the car park, it was an hour walk across the valley to actually get to it. Once at the beginning of the ice, we put on our crampons (spiked boot covers for walking on ice) and headed up the glacier. It was out of this world walking on all of that ice. I learned a new term, too: "goat walking". It means walking up a hill zig zagging like a goat...I love it!









The whole hike was four hours and afterwards, we got back on the road to drive three hours to punakaiki, which is probably the most scenic coastline in new Zealand.






Dinner was at the punankaiki resort. The restaurant is right on the beach and we walked on the beach afterwards...and then went to see the pancake rocks (the main reason for stopping in this area). Stay tuned for pictures...

Next up tomorrow...underworld cave rafting

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To the glacier country

November 20, 2010

We left queenstown this morning just after 9am. We picked up the car at the apex car rentals office in town and after a few minutes of explanation about new Zealand driving, we set the gps system and were off for franz Josef glacier. The five hour drive was about the most scenic drive that I have ever taken. It started out with rolling hillsides and sheep farms, then up into a giant mountaintop, then into beautiful rainforests and spilling out to the ocean, then back up into the rainforest mountains to glacier country.













We arrived at franz Josef village in the afternoon and checked into our tree hut. Then we had dinner at their restaurant, which was amazing. We checked out the village and the stores, then made a booking for the glacier hot pools later at night.


Our 45 minute private hot pool was amazing. Situated right in the rainforest, the hot pools' water is taken right from the glacier itself. Bathing in this water is incredibly relaxing. Jason, who was apprehensive about the hot pools last night, is now addicted...






Afterwards, we went back to our "hut" and now it's time for bed, as tomorrow is an early day...

Next up: glacier hike

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