Pancake Rocks

 This is totally different scenery than the rest of New Zealand.  It is called Pancake Rocks because the rocks look like a very large stake of pancakes.  If you go a high tide the blowholes are huge but we went at low tide so we need to go back again another time and be sure to go during high tide.

December 31, 2011

Fox Glacier

 To get to Fox Glacier you had to walk a long ways across the lone and dreary wilderness.  This is Don and I had a base of the glacier.

 No one was to cross the barrier to the river but three kayakers decided to disregard the sign and take a trip down the river.  It looked hard because of all the large rocks in the rivers that they had to avoid.

December 31, 2011

Gates of Haast

Mt. Aspiring National Park

 The Blue Pools of Haast were the most azure water we have ever seen.  It was beautiful and had two swinging bridges that we had to cross in order to get to the pools.

 This is one of the swinging bridges.  It said that only 10 people could cross at a time but sometimes it seemed like more than that on the bridge at one time.

The waterfalls in New Zealand are breath taking.

December 31, 2011

Puzzling World

 Outside of Wanaka there is place called Puzzling World.  It is full of mazes and puzzles and adventures for children and adults as well.

 This is a mural outside of the restrooms (called toilets in NZ) and they would sit down and then a stream would run underneath them.  I'm glad a didn't live back then.

Kea Bird

This is a Kea Bird which is a type of parrot.  This bird likes to eat rubber so you will frequently see him eating away at windshield wipers and rubber around the windows.

Milford Sound

 To get to Milford Sound you have to go through a long one way tunnel.  It is controlled by a signal light which you can see in the picture is red for us.  It was built through solid rock using picks and shovels.  It took a long time to complete.  The tunnel is called Homer Tunnel.

 It was a rainy day which is good in this area.  When it rains there are waterfalls all over the mountain.  This was taken while waiting to go through Homer Tunnel.

 The bus stopped at a place called the Chasm.  It is about a 15 minute walk through lush green foliage.  Along the walk is a small lake called Mirror Lake and is suppose to reflect.  However,  when it is overcast you don't see the reflection.  It was a beautiful walk.

 We spent the night on this boat at Milford Sound.  We had our own room and they fed us dinner and breakfast. The chef was fantastic and the food was delicious.

 The rain created waterfalls all over the mountains.  Some of the mountains are 6,000 feet and the water falls down from the top of them.

That night we went out in a small boat and came across a school of dolphins.  The boat could go up right next to them.  Our cameras shutter is a little slow so we only got the fins.

 The seals are also a little tired from their days at sea.

 The boat took us up right next to the waterfalls.  Don only got a little wet in this picture.

The next morning we went out to the Tasman Sea.  It was beautiful but a little windy and cold.

December 29, 2011