South Island trip draws to an end - Day 20

Spent the night in Queenstown and we had an afternoon flight back to Auckland - time to kill

Our destination - top of them thar hills . . .

The couple in the gondola

view from in the restaurant / lounge area

So you know what you are looking at . . . the view explained

Sam and I Remarkables and Lake Wakatipu in the background

Beautiful day and what a view

breath-taking scenes

more scenery - helped by a beautiful day

kart racing - very popular . .

Abseiling from the side of the hill - literally jump off and up current takes them away - I was tempted . . . 1, 2, 3 were off . .

now airborne

another group prepare themselves

signpost to show how far I was from where you are now . . .

stunning views

Samantha really liked these flowers which are all over the South Island

Market stalls again - Sat again

Ducks in lake Wakatipu

Flew back to Auckland . . . what a trip - wonderful memories . . . thanks to Sam and Hud for organising Tomorrow chill out . . .

Day 18, 19 and 20 - Franz Josef Glacier

Set off after spedning the evening in Queenstown - this photo looks back towards Queenstown after a steep mountain climb

We drove int a horrendous storm and the rain lashed down unceassingly - drove along the coast to get to Franz Josef town - stayed in the youth hostel here - all tours had been cancelled that day - so we were unure whether we would be allowed to go the next day . .
Franz Josef Glacier
Wikipedia Franz Josef info

the following day I set of with the tour bus - Samantha and Hud did not come along - Sam was pregnant and was advised not to take part as it is very easy to slip . . .

part of the group sets off

first glimpse of the glacier

as you can see in the background - the river comes straight from the glacier and this block of ice had been carried down by the river . . .

we move closer to the glacier . .

easier to see part of the river which runs beneath the glacier . . .

barrier - not supposed to o beyond this point without a guide - saw some idiots running up the glacier

now if you had been paying attention - remember that fault line we saw on the Milford SOund tour - you betcha - here it is again . . .

looking down the valley - we have come some way already . . .

. . .time for support - crampons on . . .

stairway on the glacier - Anne and Bob who had been on the Doubtful SOund cruise as well . . .

we's a coming . . .

on the glacier . . .

path through the ice - actually on the glacier now

group takes a break

looking down the valley again . . .

Frans Jozef glacier

for the more adventurous - ice cliff climbing

onwards and upwards

It was possible to hire a helicopter and be taken to the top of the glacier . .

we wind our way between the peaks

Again amzing natural beauty - I did wonder about how eco friendly it was clambering all over the glacier - I don't know I can't answer - but I am glad that I had this experience - I hope it is still around for a long time to come . . . well worth the effort - not exactly somethign you do every day . . .

Michael and Willow come a calling - they were waiting for me when I arrived abck at the hostel - pre-arranged of course - Had Michael not driven across - I would probably not have seen him - Thanks Michael

Just after breakfast - we part ways - Michael back to Christchurch - Sam, Hud and myself back to Queenstown

images of Franz Josef

We drove back to Queenstown and spent the evening there

Day 15 and 16 - Doubtful Sounds cruise

Started off fairly early - we stayed overnight in Manapouri - to get to our overnight cruise we had to first catch a boat across Manapouri lake - bus and that then connected us with our ship the Fiordland Navigator.
The first part of the trip was a fast boat the Fiordland flyer - pleasant enough trip in itself

Sam & Hud relaxing

stopped during the bus trip to admire this river - we were told that in this neck of the woods - rain is common for at least 300+ daya a year and 5 dyas without rain seems like a drought . . . almost felt like I was back in Scotland . . .

Shown to our cabin aboard the good ship Fiordland Navigator . . I was warned No Snoaring - I was hit much later with a pillow - can't think why???

Seals on various islands at the mouth of Doubtful sound - we are almost in the sea here. We saw a penguin and were also lucky enough to see a whole pod of young dolphins late afternoon going out to feed. The ship has to slow right down for the pod - so I think the dolphins found us boring - and did not approach - have some photo's but they are from a distance and I decided they are not good enough to feature.

Sam and I went for a short spin late afternoon - to take a close look at the shore-line - and she didn't trust me in a canoe - last time I wa sin one I waited until I was in the middle of the lake and capsized it - I did have my mobile phone in my pocket but damned if the thing didn't work - luckily they were watching from shore and they came out with a speedbaot and rescued me (this was in South Africa - Sedgefield) . . So Sam heaved a sigh of relief and secrelty she may have wanted to go on the canoe herself - not sure . .

I think that is Hud in the red canoe extreme left top . . . as you can see canoeing was a popular choice . . . kinda like at a restaurant now - where you see something somebody else ordered - it looks better than what you have - I was looking at the canoes thinking damn I should have done that . . .

The Fiordland Navigator and home for the night

younger members on speed boat - are given a chance to steer the boat . . .

Hud jumping into the Fiord

PLACE Holder - I went for a swim as well - Sam has the picture - will place it here
The catering and the way the staff on board the ship looked after us was second to none - I would thoroughly recommend this experience to anyone down this way. The boat can cater for about 76 people what could added to our experience was that we were less than 40 people on board. Full marks to real journeys - they made it a five star experience.

After dinner we had a short talk with slides give by one of the crew members - the person who skippered our little speed boat excursion. Then yours truly was on the malt whisky in the bar. I( slept well. Picture below is the gps positioning of where we over-nighted (is that a word??)

I was awoken - during the night (a few times by someone who kept hitting me with their piloow - for no apparent reason??) by the ships engines early morning - and this first photograph is the ship underway

The photos try to capture some of the serenity / unspoilt / natural beauty - it is just so beautiful - tried to capture the reflection in the water - sometimes it can be quite dis-orientating . . .

Here you can see there has been a land slide - but the moss and plants are now starting to reclaim the cliff face . . .

fierce competition and rivalry . . .

It turned out to be a lovely day - these are some photo's taken whilst crossing Lake Manapouri again

Long drive back to Queenstown - stopped to admire the view shortly before Queenstown . . .

Tomorrow we drive through a storm to get to Fanz Josef glacier