Fiji

We spent a very relaxing week in Fiji.  Thanks to my parents who let us use their timeshare, we were finally out of hostels and in a nice resort.  We had a two bedroom, two bathroom suite with a kitchen and even a washer and dryer (finally! clean clothes!)  The resort was on the beach and had a huge pool.  There were also different activities offered at almost every hour of every day.  At the beginning of the week a welcome reception was held with free drinks and a fire dancing show.  There was serenading everynight.  I watched a woodcarving demonstration, tasted fresh coconut milk and water during the coconut carving demonstration and was entertained by the "international" turtle races.  It rained several times during the week, but since we had a massive balcony where we could sit and read our books, we didn't even mind.  We enjoyed the resort so much, that we only left the property a few times.  

Fire Dancing

Wood Carving Demonstration

Our first Fiji sunset

Our trips off the resort included a few visits to Port Denarau, where the Denarau Island shopping center is located, and one trip out of Denarau and into Nadi Town.  In Nadi, we did our grocery shopping for the week and also visited a few tourist shops.  In the first shop we went in, we were given a very warm welcome by "Steve" who insisted that we come to the back of the store for a traditional kava ceremony.  Kava is a drink made with the roots of a kava plant  and has anesthetic and sedative properties.  Steve gave us a little kava lesson, making a bowl full of the drink right in front of us.  I watched as he used a cloth that looked like a bar rag as part of the process and poured single servings into small bowls that had probably not been washed since the last "welcome ceremony."  Four months earlier I'm sure I would have politely declined my serving of kava.  What actually happened though was that I had two servings...and my tongue quickly went numb.  After our ceremony, Steve followed us around the shop trying to convince us to buy some overpriced wood carvings.   

We went to Port Denarau about three times.  One trip was not planned.  We had decided to go on the "bike tour" offered by the resort thinking we might get some information about the area while we cruised around on bikes.  We were the only ones who showed up for the tour and our guide simply had us follow him to the Port Denarau shopping center.  We were given about twenty minutes for our "break" and then just rode right back to the resort.  Our guide hardly spoke.  Not the best "tour" I've ever been on.  Simon and I were highly amused.

The majority of the time, we just relaxed and read books.  Even though I loved our week in Fiji, I was really excited to head back to California and see my family.

View from my lounge chair

Resort pool

Beautiful Fiji Sunset

New Zealand: South Island - Dunedin to Christchurch

During our last few days in New Zealand, we traveled along the east coast from Dunedin to Christchurch.  Dunedin was not part of our original plans, but I'm glad we visited.  If we hadn't, we would have missed the steepest residential street in the world (according to the Guinness Book of World Records).  There were also some nice historical buildings in Dunedin, including the railway station, which is said to be one of the most photographed buildings in New Zealand.  We took a drive around the nearby Otago Peninsula and, before the clouds settled in and the rain started, enjoyed some more beautiful New Zealand views.  During our two nights in Dunedin, we stayed at a hostel called, Hogwartz.  Yes, it was Harry Potter themed.

Baldwin Street

Simon on the steepest residential street in the world

Albatross Center at the end of the Otago Peninsula

Sandfly Beach on the Otago Peninsula

Dunedin Railway Station

As we continued up the east coast from Dunedin, we made a brief stop in Koekohe Beach to see the Moeraki Boulders.  Huge boulders are scattered along the small stretch of beach.  

We spent the night in Oamaru to see the Blue Penguins.  Each evening, the penguins that have been out fishing come ashore at the Oamaru Blue Penguin colony.  The Blue Penguins are the smallest penguins in the world and are only about 10 inches tall.  We waited about an hour to see a few groups of penguins swim ashore and waddle up to the rocks.  It was great to see the penguins in a (somewhat) natural environment.

Our final destination in New Zealand was Christchurch.  The city is still rebuilding from the devastating earthquake of 2011 and a lot of the city center is inaccessible.  There was even a small earthquake while we were there.  It was sad to see the amount of destruction caused by the earthquakes.  In an effort to revitalize the city and bring business back to the center, a shopping mall made of shipping containers has been set up.  Cafes, clothing stores, and souvenir shops have all been set up within large, colorful shipping containers.  After a walk through the "mall" and the botanic gardens, we found that almost all other tourist attractions, including museums, were still closed.  We considered taking a drive outside the city, but after two weeks on the road, did not feel like getting back in the car.  Instead, we settled in and relaxed in the cozy living room of our hostel, watching movies and "Come Dine With Me" marathons. 

Botanic Gardens

Re:Start Shipping Container Mall

Earthquake Damage

Map showing the "red zone," the closed part of the city center

We had an amazing trip through New Zealand.  We drove almost two thousand miles over 17 days and found only one stretch of road to be dull.  The New Zealand scenery  is absolutely gorgeous.  By the time we reached Christchurch, though, we were ready to turn in the car keys and trade the jackets and beanies for swimsuits and flip-flops.  

New Zealand: South Island - Milford Sound

We set off early from Queenstown for Te Anau, which would be our base for our day trip to Milford Sound.  On the way, we found ourselves in the middle of a cattle drive.  There were so many cows that we had to completely stop the car and wait for the cows to move.  

Cattle Drive

In Te Anau, we shopped around for a place to stay and ended up at a holiday park just a short walk away from Lake Te Anau, the second largest lake in New Zealand.  Before the rain started, we had a walk along the lake shore.  That evening, on recommendation from the receptionist, we joined the locals for a Sunday roaster at a steakhouse, treating ourselves to lamb and cider.  This was one of the only times we ate out in New Zealand.

Lake Te Anau

Lake Te Anau before the rain

The following morning we set off for Milford Sound.  It is 144 miles from Te Anau to Milford, but the journey is fantastic.  Milford Road takes you into Fiordland National Park through the Southern Alps.  The road passes by lakes, waterfalls, through rain forest, and over snowy mountains.  Since it had just rained (and snowed in the higher elevations) hundreds of small waterfalls cascaded down the sides of the cliffs we drove alongside.  At the highest point of the road, we drove through Homer Tunnel, which took almost 20 years to complete. 

Snowy Milford Road

Approaching Homer Tunnel

Temporary waterfall down the cliff alongside the road

Raging waterfall next to the road

Once we reached Milford, we booked ourselves on a cruise around the fjord.  (As explained to us on our cruise, Milford Sound is inaccurately named and is actually a fjord.)  Milford Sound is absolutely breathtaking.  It is surrounded by sheer rock faces, some of which jut straight up over a mile high above the water.  Since it was winter, we had very cold weather to deal with, but had the benefit of a fairly empty cruise boat.  When we set out, we had some blue skies, but throughout the two hour cruise we also experienced rain, sleet, and hail.  The weather was constantly changing, which just added to the mystique of Milford Sound.  Clouds drifted over the snow covered mountain peaks, fur seals lounged on the rocks, and a few dolphins even swam by.  Another benefit of the rainy weather was the waterfalls.  There are only two waterfalls that flow year round, but because of the wet weather, there were hundreds of temporary waterfalls running down the cliffs.  It is impossible to capture the beauty of Milford Sound in pictures, but we certainly tried.  We both agreed that it was one of the most amazing places we have been on our trip. 

Fairy Falls

Fairy Falls from below

Find the cruise boat to get an idea of the scale

Simon and I with Bowen Falls behind us

Blue skies peeking through

New Zealand: South Island - Queenstown

We had yet another beautiful drive on the way to Queenstown.  As we drove inland through the mountain passes, we stopped twice to see waterfalls that were accessible  by walking just a few minutes off the highway.  On the other side of the Southern Alps, we drove alongside lakes for miles.  Snow capped mountains were always in sight.

Fantail Falls

Thunder Creek Falls

Lake Hawea

Bungee Jumping and Skydiving are popular activities in Queenstown, but there was no way Simon was going to talk me into either of those.  So, we enjoyed the town, which was quiet since it was out of season, and took in the views.

Simon by Lake Wakatipu

View from Queenstown Hill

New Zealand: South Island - Glacier Country

From Greymouth, we continued our drive down the west coast to see the Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers.  The glaciers are easily accessible, making them popular tourist attractions.  They are unique in that they descend from the Southern Alps through rain forest and end only about 300 meters above sea level and about 12 miles from the Tasman Sea.  The face of Franz Josef has become unstable so walking on the glacier now requires a helicopter flight.  However, we could still walk to the face.  As we walked, the massive cliffs towering over us made us feel like we had entered Middle Earth and should be looking for Frodo.

We also walked part of the Alex's Knob trail through lush rain forest to reach higher ground, hoping for a different view of the glacier.  Unfortunately, as we climbed, the clouds settled in over the top of the mountains and we couldn't see much.  The forest was so dense that when it did start to rain, we hardly felt it.

Beautiful view as we walked to the glacier face. 

Terminal face of Franz Josef Glacier

Me next to one of the many waterfalls.  

Simon in the rain forest

We visited Fox Glacier, which is about 12 miles south of Franz Josef, as we began our drive to Queenstown.  It was only a thirty minute walk to the terminal face of Fox Glacier.  Along the way, posted signs constantly warn you to stay on the marked trail due to potential falling rocks, ice, and even flash floods.  Even though we didn't walk on either of the glaciers, they were incredible sights to see.  

Simon in front of the terminal face of Fox Glacier

No Stopping for 500 meters

Safety First

In the glacier area, we also stopped off at Lake Matheson.  Also known as, "mirror lake," Lake Matheson is famous for its reflections of the nearby Southern Alps.  Unfortunately, it was cloudy when we visited and the mountain peaks were not visible.  The reflections, though, were still perfect.

Clouds reflected in Lake Matheson

New Zealand: South Island - Picton to Greymouth

From Picton, where the ferry docked, we drove straight on to Nelson.  We took the scenic Queen Charlotte Drive and had some gorgeous views of the Queen Charlotte Sound, Pelorus Sound, and various bays.  As we headed inland, we were greeted with rolling hills and farmland.  We did not expect much from Nelson but found it to be a nice, quaint town.  The hostel owner definitely qualifies as the friendliest owner (and possibly friendliest person) we've met on our trip to date.  He never stopped smiling, was really happy to chat, and swore I'd stayed there before.  Nelson claims the geographic center of New Zealand, which is on the top of a hill in the Botanic Gardens.

Gorgeous View from Queen Charlotte Drive

Nelson's South Street - The oldest preserved street in New Zealand.  Cottages dating from 1863.

Me standing at the geographic center of New Zealand.

View from the Center of New Zealand

After one night in Nelson, we moved on to Greymouth.  The best part about Greymouth was getting there.  We made two stops along the way (in addition to several stops for pictures).  The first was at Buller Gorge in Murchison to cross the longest swing bridge in New Zealand.  For $5 NZ we walked across the bridge then followed the path on the other side of the river for a fifteen minute walk that took us past the White Creek Faultline of 1929, where a 7.8 earthquake created a 4.5 meter high cliff face.

Me crossing the Buller Gorge Bridge

Once we again reached the Tasman Sea, the views were spectacular, even on a cloudy day.  We stopped several times just for pictures.

Our last stop before reaching Greymouth was at the Pancake Rocks in Punakaiki.  The Pancake Rocks consist of an area of eroded limstone on the Tasman Sea.  The layering of the limestone gives the rocks their name.

Simon at the Pancake Rocks

Greymouth itself was, well, grey, and there was really nothing of interest to us there.  The hostel though was probably the most unique one that we stayed at.  Noah's Ark, a converted monastery, had animal themed rooms and various animal paintings throughout, even in the bathrooms.  We slept in the "giraffe" room.