New Zealand

22nd December 2004 - 7th January 2005


Day 2 (Christmas Day!): New Zealand's North Island, on the Coromandel peninsula, is covered with huge Silver Ferns - the symbol on the New Zealand sports jerseys		We had a place right on the beach - the view from the balcony looked over small islands near the coast

Cathedral Cove is right near the small beach town of Hahei and one of the most beautiful beaches in the world		A huge arch connects two coves

Through the arch to Cathedral cove		Siblings Nancy and Chris on the left and Jon on the right

Me and Chris at Hot Water beach where geothermal activity heats the water and sand - all you need to do is dig		Christmas lunch...

Day 3 (Boxing day): My cousin Ellie tried diving locally - though the water was cold		Day 4: Queenstown airport in the South Island. The Remarkables range makes a great backdrop

Lake Wakatipu looking towards Glenorchy and Mt. Earnslaw - the snowiest one		Day 5: A swingbridge on the Routeburn track

Views from the Routeburn track - before the rain set in... - Lord of the Rings views everywhere		Day 7: The Franz Josef glacier - reaches almost to sea level

The face of the glacier up close - note the steepness and the 'stepcutters' - try to spot all 5		Ice climbers sit on a serac

Our guide, Ryan, and an ice wall		Chris making his way through an ice passage

Seracs		Ice blue

Day 8 (New Year's Eve): Looking through temperate rainforest to the Fox glacier just a little South of Franz Josef		Chris and me on a Jet boat on the Wilkins river near Makarora (being eaten by sandflies)

Looking up the Wilkins river from the boat		Lake Wakatipu once more as parents left Glenorchy

Lake Wanaka from our Boundary Creek campsite		Sunset on the mountains

A nice place to spend New Year		Day 10: Milford Sound in the morning mist

The Sound has incredibly steep sides going straight up to 2000m peaks from the sea		A cloud rainbow as the clouds cleared

The Sound...		The day cleared up and the tide went out. It's a majestic place

Me		Chris and me

Mitre Peak is the dramatic one on the left		The same day we climbed to Key Summit back on the Routeburn track - these are the Darran Mountains and Lake Marian

Day 11: Lake Te Anau looking North after visiting the glowworm caves		Day 12: A common sight in New Zealand - this was in the Catlins in the South East

Sunset on Te Anau clouds		Day 13: The Moeraki boulders on the South East coast - spherical boulders that sit in the surf

Aptly named red hot poker flowers		The countryside around Wanaka from the top of Mt. Iron

Day 14: A hike up the Rob Roy valley led to the Rob Roy glacier off the Mitukituki valley near Wanaka - Mt. Aspiring National Park		The Rob Roy glacier with waterfall

Chris at the head of the valley		Higher up the valley towards the saddle - John Wood can be seen climbing up to the ridge

Down the valley		Returning to Wanaka

The trip:

We spent a family vacation in New Zealand over December and January 2004-2005. The time included a few days in the North Island on the Coromandel Peninsula with the family to celebrate Christmas. We then split up and headed to the South Island and Queenstown to tramp, camp, and explore. Fortunately we also had the local guides of Beth and John Wood. The remaining days were spent travelling most of the Southern part of the South Island with trips to the great glaciers, Milford Sound and beautiful mountain lakes

North Island:

Stayed at Hahei on the Coromandel Peninsula.Visited Cathedral Cove, Hot Water Beach and the 309 road to the Kauri groves. Enjoyed Sea kayaking on Christmas Eve and swimming in the sea on Christmas day

South Island :

Started from Queenstown and Glenorchy tramping (hiking) up a part of the Routeburn track.

On to Franz Josef glacier via the Haast Pass and back South to Makarora, the Wilkins valley and Lakes Wanaka and Hawea.

To Lake Gunn South in the Egglinton valley then to Milford Sound, Key Summit (on the Routeburn again) and to Te Anau.

Lake Manapouri then South along the coast through Invercargill, Bluff the Catlin mountains, a petrified forest at Curio bay, Nugget Point to Dunedin.

To the Moeraki boulders then West to Wanaka, up the Mitukituki valley and heading back to Queenstown to fly home. Phew.