Wednesday Feb 24, 2010 Strahan to Wynyard

Not much to say about the trip today. Not much to see. Just trees.

We did a side trip to Waratah. It was a prosperous mining town. It has a small waterfall which in the past operated 8 different waterwheels. The water falls are small now. Not sure if this is because water is diverted from the river to a power station not far away.

We stopped at the Hellyer Gorge but it wasn't much. We did the 15 min walk most of it beside the river. Another Australian couple wondered what there was to see as well. It was a letdown.

Tuesday Feb 23, 2010 - Strahan

It was a much nicer day today. Did not get very warm though. We took a trip to Zeehan. There was a wonderful West Coast Pioneers' Museum there. The main building was once a very prestigious mining school which closed in 1963. They have done renovations to the Police Station and Court House, and the Gaiety Theatre. There was a black smith shop, marine shed, train yard, miners hut, power house and underground mine exhibit. It was a wonderful walk through the history of the area. Zeehan was a mining town that once looked barren. It has made a good recovery. The vegetation is lush and green. We ate lunch in a park before returning to Strahan.

After I had a nap we went for a walk to see Hogarth falls. It is 1.25km walk one way. Most of which was easy. There was a climb at the end then 25 steps down to see the falls. I
felt good with the walk.

We went to see the play "The Ship that Never Was". In January 1834: the last ship to be built at the convict settlement shipyard at Sarah Island is about to sail for the new prison at Port Arthur. Ten convict shipwrights have other ideas. They steal the ship called the Fredrick and sail it to Chile. They sink the boat off the coast of Chile. A year later 4 of the convicts are caught and brought back to face charges, for piracy, mutiny and escaping the penal colony. They got off on a technicality. There were only two actors involved in the production. The audience provide the other parts. It was hilarious. It was amazing the way the stage changed to represent a ship deck sails and all. At one point we re-enact a storm at sea using spray bottles and feet stomping. It might have been a little more realistic last night with the wind and rain. The play is done in an amphitheatre and under an awning, so that keeping the rain out last night might have been a problem. It was a nice night to see the play tonight.

Monday Feb 22, 2010 - Strahan

Not much planned for today. Tried to see if I could get my hair permed. The hairdresser is not open on Mondays. Sought out a new hair dresser in the area but he did not have any perm solution. Will try in Wynyard. We sent a parcel out from the post office. Did some shopping then came back to the cottage. Charles decided to play some golf so off he went.

Around noon the weather started to change drastically. Black clouds moved in and the wind picked up. Soon it was raining very hard. I hoped Charles did not get too wet. As quickly as it started the rain stopped, and the skies brightened a little. Soon Charles arrived back and not too wet. The rest of the day went like that. Black clouds move in, the wind picks up and the rain starts. You could do some things between the squalls but you had to be careful not to wait too long or it was pouring again. They got 3 cm of rain over the afternoon and evening. It was crazy. Have not seen weather like it. We spent the day watching DVDs. Charles did manage to BBQ steaks during all of this.

Sunday Feb 21, 2010 – West Coast Wilderness Train Trip

We took a historical train trip today from Strahan to Queenstown. Although it was not what it was made out to be, it was steeped in history of the area. There are two ways to make this trip either start from Queenstown to Strahan and meet to change trains in the middle or the other way around. You are bussed back or you can take the bus to were you want to start and take the train back.

The train stopped running in 1963 after opening in 1897. The train was the life line for Queenstown as there were no roads into it. It was built to bring out gold and copper from the mines. By 1963 roads had been built and it was easier to truck ore to Burnie in the north and ship from there. This is a railway no one said could be built. It took 3 ½ years to build it.

One of the major difficulties was steep grade from Dubbil Barril to Rinadeena Saddle and back down to Halls Creek. A post card sent to someone from Germany showed a new invention, the cog railway. It had never been used in Australia before but they went ahead and put it in and it worked. When the new diesel engine became available they thought it would be the end of the old steam engine. Not so. It seems that the steam engines can pull more up these steep grades than the diesel.

The first part of the trip from Strahan to Dubbil Barril is done with the diesel engine. You change trains there to the steam engine for the rest of the trip to Queenstown. The trip follows the King River then overland to further follow the Queen River. Both rivers are dead rivers do to the amount of mine waste that was dumped into the Queen River from the copper mine in Queenstown. The other problem is the acidic nature of the soil and rock in the Queenstown area. Although it is better today that 20 years ago, it will take many many years to get them back alive.

We had a lovely box lunch at Dubbil Barril while the train engines were turned around. This is still done by hand on a train turntable. In 1999 restoration began on the old railway. By the end of 2002 the line was open from Strahan to Queenstown. Three of the five original steam engines were restored as well and are now in service. You mostly see bush and cuts made into raises to keep the track as flat as possible.

The copper mine in Queenstown is still operating. Most of the residence work for the mine. The new owners are very ecologically minded and are try to clean up what was left by the previous owners. The Queenstown area is now coming back as well. All the trees were cut down over the years by the settlers to build homes, feed fires and power the train. Twenty years ago there was no vegetation on the hills, not even a blade of grass. This will also take many years to reclaim but inroads are being made.

It was hard to sleep last night because of the warmth and humidity. Thank goodness for the breeze.

Saturday Feb 20, 2010 – Gordon River Cruise

I did not sleep very well last night so that getting up early for the cruise was difficult. Being on a gently rocking boat did not help. The cruise started out by heading out to the Hells Gate. This is the small opening to the Macquarie Harbour. It is 90m wide and 20m deep. It was not explorers who named this opening, but the convicts coming to Sarah Island named it. They thought these were "the Gates to Hell". In order to be able to make the bay available for larger ships a wall was built to change the wave action so the opening would not silt up. A hundred years later it is still there and doing its job. Today large ships cannot come into the harbour. We were told a story of a ship wreck in which the bow was on one side of the gates and the stern on the other.

Since the seas were so calm this morning we were able to go out to Cape Sorell. The first light house you would see from the ocean is the one on Cape Sorell. There are 2 more on each side of Hells Gate. If you were back in the past trying to sail through the gates it would have been a very difficult job.

On the way back into the harbour and Sarah Island we passed by a number of fish farms. Salmon and ocean trout farming has been going on here for 25 years. This is closely watched by coastal fisheries. Because the bay has such a small opening, seals don't come in. They are the major enemy of the fish farm as they can chew open the nets. Fish farming is big industry here now.

Sarah Island was a small island in the harbour that became a penal colony in Jan. 1822 and closed in 1833. Over the years vandalism took its toll on the structures. Most people stole the bricks for their own use. Any wooded structures have rotted or been removed Not much remains here now. People know what the area looked like because of paintings. Over the 10 years 1200 men and women were sentenced to Sarah Island. It was a brutal existence. The early work of the settlement was timber cutting and hauling. This did not take skilled labour. The trees cut were the Huon Pine. This is a very valuable wood especially for ship building in the day. So that like Port Arthur ship building became big business.

After leaving the island we went up the Gordon River. A buffet lunch was served which was delicious. With a good lunch and a slow moving boat, I was hard pressed to stay awake. The Gordon River is now in a National Park which is also a World Heritage Site. Logging of the Huon Pine was abandoned after World War II. The pine trees are no longer logged but logs washing up on shore or salvaged from the bottom of the river are still used. Since the wood does not rot very easily it is just as good today as when it was logged.

We stopped at Heritage Landing for a 400m walk through the Rain Forest. On the trip back to port I gave in to my tiredness and slept.

Friday Feb 19, 2010 Hobart to Strahan

When we left from our accommodations we used the GPS to get us so far. Once we were under way I turned it off. I am not sure where we went wrong but the next thing we knew we were in Bagdad. I made a joke about taking a wrong turn somewhere. On we went as I tried to locate where we were on the map. I finally located us at Kempton on the way to Launceston. We were heading north instead of west. I guess we should have left the GPS on. We sure laughed a lot about getting on the wrong road. Instead of going back we made our way to Bothwell then took a secondary road to Hamilton. We thought we might make a couple of side trips but this one was unplanned.

We stopped at some power generation areas just by the road. The tarraleah and tungatinah generating plants. By the time the water gets to Hobart it will have passed through 8 different generation plants. The water is clean when it starts and still is by the end of its work.

Lake St. Clair is where we stopped for lunch. It is in a National Park. It was a nice spot to stop for lunch. Our next stop was to see Nelson Falls. It was a 20 min. walk through the bush alongside the creek. A very nice cool and refreshing walk. Even though there has not been a lot of rain lately, the falls were great to see.

There has not been a lot to see on the trip, mainly trees and mountains. Most of the trip was through the National Parks. The road down into Queenstown was full of bends, twists and hair pin turns. You drop quite a way in a short time. Reminds us the trip from Wanaka to Queenstown in NZ. There is a working copper mine at Queenstown. We could see the waste piles as we drove down into the town. You climb back up to make your way to Strahan (pronounced Strawn). It is a lovely coastal town. There are only about 500 permanent residents in the town with about 1000 tourists. When I walked into the only grocery store, I met up with the 2 couples from our Bruny Island Cruise. They are only here two days. I am sure we will meet again during our stay.

We went out to Ocean Beach to watch the sun set. One of the few sun sets we have gotten over the ocean. It was beautiful but chilly.

Thursday Feb 18, 2010

Thursday was bright and sunny. We tried calling Mom again and it worked. It was nice to talk to her. We stopped at the mall to check the banking at an internet kiosk then headed down towards Port Arthur.

We had about an hour and 15 min before the cruise so we stopped at the Tasmania Devil Conservation Park. We were just in time to see the Tasmania Devil feeding. We saw some devils walking around. We saw a pair in a den. It turned out that it is mating season and these two had made a match. At the feeding we found out some interesting facts about the devil. They are basically scavengers. They usually only eat things that are dead. Occasionally they will kill an animal that is injured. They do not have the stamina to hunt down an animal or bird that is well.

When a male finds a mate he bites her at the back of her head and drags her back to his den. He will not let her leave for up to 72 hours. If she leaves for any reason he will drag her back again. About 11 babies are born. They are about the size of a piece of rice. The mom only has 4 teats so only the strongest survive. Most of the time only 2 or 3 babies survive. After nine months with mom they are on their one. The devil is now endangered by a type of facial cancer that kills them within 5 months. It is a transmitted cancer through biting. There were two quolls that are cousins of the devil. We ate lunch in the park and talked to the gentleman who started the park. We ran out of time to see much more of the park which was too bad.

When we got to the office for the cruise we found out we had to go back to Adventure Bay by bus to catch the boat. We were given a choice of hat as well as a pair of gloves for doing both the Bruny Island and this cruise. The seas were rougher today and the boat was not full. I was the only one in the back. We saw the Tasman Arch from the sea this time. We could see people looking at it from the shore. Also there was another arch we did not walk down to see on Sunday. As we travelled down the coast we saw the geology change from layers of sand stone to dolerite columns. In the sandstone area there were lots of caves and arches that all changes in the dolerite area. There were two sea columns, one is the candle stick and the other is the totem pole. Many climbers have climbed the thin totem pole. At the top there are 3 wires that climbers make their way across to the mainland. Once the crew saw a climber tight rope walking across the wire.

We went around the Tasman Island. There were many male seals there. On the island was a light house. There was a system to get the lighthouse keeper and family to the light house with all the supplies. The light house is still working but now it has solar panels and a backup generator. Domestic cats were left on the island by past keepers. Now they run wild. They are trying to capture them all as they are killing the birds.

During our trip we saw a feeding frenzy by seals and birds. The seals corralled schools of fish, and then fed on them. Many of the sea birds got into the action, cormorants, seagulls, terns, and albatrosses. You can sure tell how big the albatrosses are compared to the rest of the birds. Birds and seals thrashing around coming up with fish to eat. It was an amazing sight. The morning group saw lots of dolphins. Unfortunately we did not see any. The feeding frenzy made up for it.

Frustrating Wednesday!

Wednesday Feb 17, 2010

One thing I forgot about on Tuesday. On our way down to the air walk there was a fruit stand that said "Early Apples". We did not stop on the way down and hoped it would be open on the way back. Sure enough the outside doors to the fridges were open so we stopped. A bag of apple was $3 and you just took a bag and put your money in a can. We had an apple right away and they were delicious; tart and crisp.

Wednesday we did nothing. We tried to use the phone card we bought to call Charles Mom. We got very frustrated as it would not work. Found we needed to pay $.50 for a local call. Did that and still no success. Went back to where we bought it and got a new pin. Still nothing. At the reception desk where we were staying we got help with the customer service phone call. Now we had our third pin number and a new number to call for Hobart. Now it is too late to call anyone in Canada. Charles tried to play golf but the tee times were full. He did not know there was two other courses close by.

Tuesday Feb 16, 2010 – Day Trip South of Hobart.

We got an early start to the day. Mount Wellington was our first stop. It is 1270m high, the highest peak in the area. We passed through a cloud layer as we went up, so that it was no surprise when we could not see Hobart below. The mountain top is unique all on its own. In 1967 there was a terrible wild fire around Hobart. The mountain was left bare of vegetation as was much of the area. The vegetation on the mountain is slow in coming back. So in amongst the large rocks are small alpine plants. The rock outcroppings were great. We were surprised to meet two couples that had been on our bus yesterday.

We stopped in Geeveston to get tickets for the Tahune Air Walk. It was 29 km to the air walk. We found a picnic place to stop for lunch. It was a beautiful spot beside a creek. There was a 15 month old boy there who was not sure of us at first so he stuck close to his dad and kept a close eye on us. After we settled down to lunch and were no threat to him he started moving around. The mosquitoes were about but seemed to leave us alone, surprise surprise.

The Tahune Air Walk was lots of fun. They had a free shuttle service for those with mobility issues to take them to the start of the walk. We missed climbing a lot of stairs. The walk averages 20 m above the ground. It takes you on a journey amongst the tops of the pristine, wet eucalypt forest. The walk culminates with a stunning cantilever suspended 48m above the ground. There are breathtaking views of the Picton and Huon Rivers and surrounding forest. It was a wonderful walk. Since the trees are still taller than the walkway you don't feel out in the open while on the walk. You feel quite enclosed. Charles went out on the cantilever but I did not. We walked back on the floor of the forest. It was quite a different view from there. It was fun to see the walkway high above us. When we go back to the Visitor Centre low and behold there was the two couple we met earlier.

We had just enough time to drive the 79 km down to the Hastings Cave and Thermal Pool site. The last tour of the caves was 4pm. Upon arrival we found out there were about 500 stairs in the cave tour. I did not think I could do that many stairs. Charles decided to do the caves while I took advantage of the Thermal Springs. The thermal pool was about 28°C which was not to warm but it was nice to swim. When I got in there were 2 other ladies but soon I was alone. After ½ hour I got out and dressed. I went on the springs loop walk by the pool. It was a good walk but a little creepy as I was all by myself. The forest was full on scurrying noises and fluttering birds. At the end of the walk there is a bridge over the creek. I saw a platypus swimming in the creek. It was very fast so would not have gotten a picture even if I had the camera.

The cave tour was unique as it was one of the few dolomite caves around. It was very deep leading to the many stairs. It had the usual stalagmite and stalactites. It takes a very long time for them to grow. There were cave spiders that have to go outside every 12 days to eat. One was pregnant and ate the leg off another spider when she could not get out to eat. There was another species of spider that makes a horizontal web. The female of this species is very hard on the males. If he does anything she doesn't like she stings him then devours him. Other insects that never go out have been found in the cave.

Charles enjoyed the tour very much. Like everything soon the cave tour was over and we were on our way back to Hobart.

Monday Feb 15, 2010 – Bruny Island Wilderness Coast Tour

After an early morning we left for Hobart downtown to find a parking spot for the day. We had to be at the Information Centre for 7:50am. We tried lost of parking lots. However, they were for permit holders only, or for only up to 3 hours. We had over ½ hour to find a spot. I saw a parking lot but we were by it too fast. We asked a lady if she knew of one. She told us of one on Argyle St. It turned out to not open until 8 am. We did find our way back to the one I saw previously. It was open and had lots of spots available. We got to the meeting spot just in time. We were able to relax after that.

We took a bus from Hobart to the ferry terminal at Kettering. It was nice to get out of the bus even for a short while. The crossing took 15 minutes. Back on the bus we travelled through the north part of the island. It is very dry here. The vegetation is sparse. There is a narrow Isthmus joining the two parts of the island. The South part of the island is totally different. It gets much more rain so that the vegetation is thick and lush. When we arrived at Adventure Bay our bus trip was over.

It was time for our morning tea or coffee and blueberry muffin. The muffin was delicious. After we were done, we walked to the jetty to get on the boats for the next part of our journey. They needed one single person for the first boat. After some consultation, Charles decided to take that seat. They said he could have a bottle of wine for doing this. He was in one of the front seats. We were told that if you had back or hip problems not to sit in the front seats. I was on the second boat at the back.

We were given red hooded ponchos to wear. They kept us dry as well as cut the wind while we were boating. Over the course of the next 3 hours, we saw many fantastic sights. We saw The Monument, Nature's Cathedral - stark 300 m high Jurassic dolerite cliffs Breathing Rock – a spectacle of an explosive blow hole Pristine untouched rainforest and beaches Triassic sandstone cliffs Stunning sea caves and rock formations Friar Rocks – home to 1000+ Australia Fur Seals mostly males Most of which you cannot see from land. We sped from site to site. There was lots of time to take pictures at each area. The time passed very quickly. I could hardly wait to see the pictures that Charles took.

Soon the boat tour was over. We went ashore for a delicious lunch. Starting with pumpkin soup followed by a ham sandwich, salad and a small piece of fudge. Back on the bus for the return trip to Hobart.

The pictures Charles took were good. It was fun to relive the day.

Happy Valentine’s Day

Sunday Feb 14, 2010 – Port Arthur Day Trip

Charles was going to make pancakes for breakfast. At the last minute, he realized we did not have any syrup. Cereal it is then. We got an early start on the day trip to Port Arthur. There were lots of rock formations to see at Eaglehawk Neck. Our first stop was a lookout over the neck. Eaglehawk Neck is the second of the narrowings along the peninsula. It was like many sandstone coastline we had already seen.

We stopped at the Tessellated Pavement. It looks like it was laid by bricklayers. However, it is all done by the sea. Either there are pans or loaves. Pans are caused by the salt water eroding out the center of the rocks leaving the edges higher than the middle. The loaves are eroded in the opposite way with the edges eroding and not the middle. We were able to walk on the rocks. It was like a paved patio.

After going through the neck, we took a side trip to the next formations. First we saw the blowhole. Here the sea has just started the wearing away of the softer rock. The cave ceiling and archway have not collapsed. When the tide is rising, the water rushes through the blowhole making lots of noise and mist. The cave further in land is being worn away. When we walked over to another section of walkway we saw that you can see right through to the Tasman Sea through an opening. It is thought that in the future, this area will form 2 or 3 islands as the softer rock is eroded.

Next came the Tasman Arch. Here most of the cave ceilings have fallen but not all, leaving this beautiful arch joining two cliffs. Again this is all caused by wave action. The last formation was the Devil`s Kitchen. Here all the ceilings have fallen, leaving a deep chasm. The waves roar in hundreds of feet below. It was so interesting to see these formations in this order, newest to the oldest. You can see what the future will unfold as the wave action continues.

Soon we were back on the main road to Port Arthur. We got there in time for lunch. That is when Charles realized all that he had forgotten to pack in the small cooler pack. No tomato, no onion, and no margarine. Just meat and water in the cooler. We had some bland sandwiches and a good laugh. Hopefully we will do better on Tuesday's day trip.

Port Arthur is a historical penal colony site. It was established in 1830 and closed in 1877. After it was closed many of the buildings were torn down or gutted by fire. Some of the buildings became hotels, guest houses and museums. By 1840`s there was over 2000 convicts, soldiers, and civil staff. It had become a major industrial settlement producing ships and shoes, clothing and bells, furniture and word stone, brooms and bricks. It was a penal colony that tied to better the convict through education and work skills. Some of the convicts did make a new life for themselves but many were just repeat offenders.

We ended up spending 3+ hours at the site. The conservation authority is doing its best to preserve what is left. Many of the brick walls are being supported by steal braces until repairs can be made. A couple of building did survive and are being renovated so people can see what it was like in the past. It was a very fascinating experience. When you pay, you get a playing card each. When you entered you matched your card to find out about a convict. Then you followed your convict through their day. It was lots of fun.

The weather was perfect for the day. It was nice and sunny where we were. It had been raining off and on over our trip to Port Arthur. When we returned, it was overcast in Hobart. We stopped to pick up food in a town call Sorell. One thing we found there was kangaroo steaks. We decided to have them for supper. Kangaroo meat is delicious. We did pick up syrup.

Wonderful day all round.

Hello From Tasmania

Saturday Feb 13, 2010 – Hobart.

Off to the Saturday Market downtown Hobart. We used the GPS to find our way. The only problem was she did not know that Salamanca Street is closed for the market. With the map we were able to find our way to parking. It was downhill all the way to the market.

The market was huge. There were stalls for everything from fruits and vegetables to clothing. There were many artisans selling their wares. We could find many different things. It was wonderful way to spend the morning. Before we knew it, it was lunch time. There were a few places selling BBQ sausages. We had bratwurst on a bun. It was good. I had a berry crepe for desert. We worked off lunch by walking back to the car.

While eating lunch we talked with a couple from Indonesia. The husband was studying Fisheries at the Hobart University. She was expecting their first child. It was nice to talk to them. Another couple from Queensland joined in on the lively discussion.

We decided to go to the mall after leaving the market. We looked into getting wireless internet, but decided against it. It made more sense economically to just keep buying wireless time where ever we went. I don't know how many times we walked up and down the mall. We kept deciding to look for something that is at the other end of the mall.

After we returned to our accommodation I went to sleep and Charles organized all the tourist info we had into possible day trips. We are going to be quite busy over the next week.

The End of Our NZ Stay

We have spent the last two day making our way back to Christchurch. Tonight is our last night.

On our way back to Christchurch today we took a side trip out to Head Peninsula. It was beautiful. Akaroa is a small community at the other side of the peninsula. It had a French infulence that could be seen in the architecture. Many of the names were French as well. Many of the harbour cruieses leave from here. We took the upper road back but couldn`t see much because of the fog. It was lots of fun anyway.

We are sad to leave NZ.

Tuesday Feb 9, 2010 – Otago Peninsula

After lunch we headed up to the top of the peninsula, Taiaroa Head. After reserving for the Monarch cruise, we headed up the road to the Albatross Centre. We decided to do the albatross viewing tour. It started with a movie about the bird. Albatrosses mate for life. They spent the first year with their parents. They eat so much and get so fat that they can't fly. The parents then put them on a diet. Only feeding them every other day to start then go longer between feedings. They also start standing further and further from the nest so the young get some exercise. After they are kicked out of the nest they go to sea for about 5 years. They return as juveniles looking for mates. This usually takes about 2 years. After finding a mate they go to sea for another year at the end of which they reunite and breed. Only one egg is laid and it is incubated for 79 days. Both parents look after the egg and chicks. After the year the parents go out to sea for a vacation from each other for a year. They come back together to breed again.

They are beautiful birds that have a wing span of 3m, can fly up to 100k/h and may travel 4 million km during a 45 year span. This colony of Albatross is the only ones that breed on the main land. Most breed on small islands.

At 4:30 we headed out on the cruise. Now we see the headlands from the sea. We saw a few albatrosses soaring above us. Many of them were changing with their partner on land. As we headed out we saw Shags, White Faced Heron, Royal Spoonbills, a Fiordland Crested Penguin, and Fur Seals. We saw two types of albatross at sea as well.

We went out this evening to see if we could see the blue penguin come ashore. It was overcast. The rain started just as the penguins came ashore. They are quite small and hard to see. Three groups came ashore while we watched. Once they get to the rocks I could no longer see them. We did not stay much longer as it was dark and rainy. They climb up the rocks on shore and continue up further to their burrows. It was fun to watch them come to shore. They look like a black cloud coming across the water.

Monday Feb 8, 2010 – Otago Peninsula

In the afternoon we went to see Larnach Castle. It was built William Larnach from 1871-76. Like many wealthy families of the time there was lots of family upheaval. After many owners along the way it was purchased by the Barker family who spent many years restoring the castle. It was in great disrepair when they bought it. It was a labour of love to restore it. They did a fantastic job of the restoration. It is beautiful inside. We were not allowed to photos inside. There were stunning view from the all the bedrooms on the third and fourth floors. There is a grand set of stairs leading to the front door on the second level. The first level was where the kitchen was and possibly where the servants stayed. Circular staircases lead to each floor. The Castle was empty when it was purchased. Over the years many people have loaned or sold them original pieces. A ballroom was added when William's daughters got bored out in the boonies. He wanted them to entertain at home. They did for a while but soon left home for exciting cities. Around the castle are lovely gardens. It was a lovely way to spend an afternoon.

In the evening we did a 4 wheel drive tour. Sam was our driver and owner of the property we drove on. He runs about 3000 sheep in the summer and 2000 in the winter. We saw beautiful views of the ocean and his land. Our journey took around Mt Charles the highest of the volcanic peak in the area. We stopped to see some seals. We could have taken steps down to the rocks and see the seals up close but there were a lots of steps. I could not have made it back up the steps. On one beach we saw sea lions. Mostly males. There are only about 14 sea lions in the area. We saw some shag nests on the flat top of an island. It was like a city: the nests were lined up in rows. It looked like someone had put old tires down for them to nest in.

Shortly we got to the area to view penguins. We saw one young penguin up close. Its sibling was laying down. The yellow eye penguins do not like to have their nests in sight of another nest. They were waiting for Mom and Dad to return with their food. They are just about ready to leave the nest. Once they hit the water they never associate with their Parents again. There is a high death rate in the first year at sea mostly due to starvation. We hoped to see Mom and Dad return but not tonight. We did see an adult having returned to its young, way across the bay. They could be seen by binoculars. Penguins nest very high up on the cliffs. The parents have to climb up and down each day to get food for the chick. Soon our trip was over. Another beautiful ending to a day.

Sunday Feb 7, 2010 Taieri Gorge Train Trip

We arrived at the train station at 9 am. Traded in our ticket for our boarding passes with our car letter and seats. We travel 77 from Dunedin to Middlemarch. The last car was were we found our seats, which turned out to be the best place. There were not that many people in our car. The other cars appeared to be full. Some people were only going one way. One lady lived in Middlemarch. Other people were getting off to continue on foot or by bike on the 150 km Otago Central Rail Trail. It is restored from the former Middlemarch to Clyde rail route. For BCer's it is like the Kettle Valley Railway trek. Clyde is just south of Cromwell. We were to Cromwell while we were in Wanaka.

The day started out overcast and rain was threatening. It was a good day for a train trip. On the trip we went through 12 tunnels. The longest one was 1.5 km long. At the Wingatui Junction we switch from the Main Trunk Line to the historic railway line now owned by the Taieri Gorge Railway Ltd. It is a 64 km privately owned line. We climbed 254 m. The Maximum grade is 1:50. This trip is the only way to see the gorge. No road goes close to the gorge.

We travelled over many viaducts. The longest was the Wingatui Viaduct. It is 97m across and 147m above the creek. We were able to get good shots of it. As we travelled through the many tunnels and over the many viaducts we could not stop thinking of how Soren would narrate the trip. We also thought of how excited Aidan would be ride a train. I also had the Thomas the Train song going around and around in my head. It didn't help that we heard it on Saturday before we left Riverton. It was a wonderful trip. There was a long deep gorge along the Taieri River with steep walls made of shiste (I am not sure of the spelling) rock and high meadows full of sheep, cattle and many rock formations.

As we approached Middlemarch it started to rain. There was also an increase of human activity. More roads, more traffic and more homesteads. We had 1 hour in the Middlemarch which has a pop. of 250. We had lunch here. We went to see "the arches" which were at the north end of the track. It had stopped raining. We were expecting something different than what we saw. Someone had made increasingly larger arches made from local stone. They were interesting to look at once we got over our surprise.

Back on the train for the return trip. Things always look different from another angle.

What a great way to spend a day.

Saturday Feb 6, 2010 – To Dunedin

On the move today. We are still taking the Scenic Southern Route. We had seen the Catlins area before so only did a little sightseeing. We did go to the Waipapa Lighthouse. Last time we were there it was so windy we could hardly do anything. Today it was sunny and warm. No wind. We did go down to the beach to see a seal sunning itself. It was also tossing the pebbly sand on its back.

We went back to Slope Point again. It is the most southerly point on the South Island. The weather this time was great. We stopped at Curio beach for lunch. Then it was off to Dunedin. We wanted to get there while shops were still open. At the Info centre we reserved a trip on a train for Sunday, and found out about grocery shopping.

After shopping, we headed for out accommodation on the Otago Peninsula. We wanted to know how long it would take us to get back to the train station in Dunedin. We are staying on a sheep farm. The sheep were noisy when we arrived. Our unit is wonderful. We have scenic views from our windows and deck.

. Friday Feb 5, 2010 – Riverton

Charles has gone off to play golf. The course here is $10 for 9 or 18 holes.

In the afternoon we went to see the Museum. It was wonderful. Two farmers wanted to make a museum in town. They set about to raise the money and bring it to the public. It starts out in a theatre that is like aboard an old wooden ship. The movie tells the story of the arrival of Europeans to NZ. The rest of the exhibits were 3 dimensional as much as possible. There were video screens around with scenes of flora & fauna, seascapes of the area. It was so well done. It is not a big museum so it was easy to get around. At the end they had people of the area talking about their experiences. One elderly lady told a story of knitting a scarf for a soldier in WWII. The scarf was sent off to somewhere in Egypt. When it got there the troops had moved on. The packages were then sent to Europe where they were toss out of a train to soldiers beside the tracks. It turn out the soldier that got hers was her brother. There were lots of stories from the old timers. What a wonderful thing to have for posterity.

Thursday Feb 4, 2010 – Invercargill

We decided not to do much today or tomorrow. We thought of going to Steward Island but decided not to. It meant an early morning and long day. We headed into Invercargill. We thought we would see the gardens at Queens Park. We also wanted to grocery shop so stopped at the Info centre to find out where to do that.

We had a wonderful lunch at a small cafe not far from the park. We also found a New World Grocery store in the same area.

We spent a couple of hours walking through the gardens and grounds of the park. It was very tranquilly. We saw some beautiful flowers and plants. The trees were very tall. It reminded me of the start of the Friendly Giant kids show. "Look up. Way up." It was getting quite hot as the clouds had burned off. A wonderful way to spend a quiet afternoon.

Tuesday & Wednesday Feb 2 - 3, 2010 – Doubtful Sound Overnight Cruise

The cruise didn't leave until 12:30 so that we had lots of time to pack up and get ready. We needed to put our luggage in a locker and our perishables in a fridge at the camp ground where we were staying. They do this a lot as people take off from Te Anau for many treks or over night cruises.

We needed to get to Manapouri to start our journey. After checking in we went back to Fraser Beach to have lunch. It was very quiet with the water lapping on shore. We are quite excited about the cruise. We were hoping that there had been more rain so we could see the many waterfalls they say fall in the Sound. No such luck. In fact it was worse this time as there had been no rain for 11 days. Even the permanent falls were not as impressive as the last time. Our cruise was full. There was a Danish touring group that was on the boat.

The journey start will a boat ride across Lake Manapouri. It is renowned for its numerous islands, deserted beaches, seductive arms and clear water. Lake many of the glacial lakes this one is deep. We travel to the west arm where we disembark at the power station for a bus ride over Wilmot Pass. From the lookout you can see Doubtful Sound far below. Deep Cove is at the head of the Sound 40 km from the open sea. The day and overnight cruises start from there. After boarding we find out where are accommodations will be and with whom we will share. We had a young woman named Kathleen and a gentleman from Switzerland with us. Charles and Swiss man had the upper bunks. The ladies had the lower bunks. The quarters are quite cramped. We had fun anyway. Kathleen is German but has lived in England for a number of years. We do not know much about the Swiss man as was hardly every around.

There were muffins, coffee and tea ready for us. The muffins were made fresh that morning and were delicious. We headed out to the observation decks to see the marvellous scenery. It was very windy. The wind was being caused by the ship movement. The waters were very calm. You have a choice of activities, either kayaking or exploring in the tender craft. We choose the later as kayaking seemed too much work. After returning from the activity many of the passengers went swimming. The water was about 20°c. Some slipped in off the back, while others dove in from the deck. A great time was had by all.

We were served soup and a bun to tide us over until supper at 7:30. We continued to sail out toward the Tasman Sea. It was so calm. We were able to get close the large seal colony on Nee Islets. Seals are so much fun to watch. We got see one lone penguin that had returned from sea to moult. It was very fat. This is needed as they don't eat during moulting. They only return from the sea to nest and to moult, otherwise they at sea. We headed back in to find the place where we would anchor for the night.

Supper was a smorg with many choices. Everything was superb. Charles and I tried to go out on deck at twilight only to be driven back in by the sand flies. By 9:30 we were in bed. Unfortunately, neither of us got a good night sleep for many reasons.

Breakfast was between 7 and 8. The boat got underway at 6:45am. It was beautiful to watch the sun come up over the mountains. It was so calm there were some great reflections on the water. It was so peaceful despite the wind.

We got back to Manapouri by noon. Picked up some takeout and ate it a Fraser Beach. Back to Te Anau to pick up our stuff. We are taking the Southern Scenic Route to Riverton. The route follows a river valley all the way to the south coast. It was flat farming country. Not much to see or do.

This area of the south coast is known for surfing and scuba diving. Since school has gone back there it is not as busy. We arrived at Riverton around 4 pm. We are renting a 3 bedroom house. We have beautiful views from most of the windows. The mornings are cloudy and chilly. Once the clouds move off in the afternoon it gets quite warm. The evenings cool off. Since the house is on a hill it gets a nice breeze that cools off the house nicely for sleeping.

We were both very tired. I finally gave up at 7:30 and went to bed. Charles came to bed by 10. We had a nice wide bed tonight.

Monday Feb 1, 2010 – Te Anau

Milford Sound is out destination today. It is 120 Km from Te Anau. There are no gas stations along the way so you must make sure you have enough gas. There is so much to see on the way. It is not a hard drive as the road is fairly straight, but you make frequent stops.

Our First stop was at Milford Downs. It is basically a harbour. There is a hotel there as well. We saw a beautiful heron. We walked out on the dock. Next, came the Mirror Lakes a favourite stop for tour busses. Although, there was a mild breeze so the lakes had a bit of a ripple they were amazing all the same. It is really had to tell what is real and what is reflection along the shore line. When I saw the pictures I realized the ripples did not bother the reflections. It was nice to see they had not changed much since the last trip.

We did the Lake Gunn Nature Walk at the south end of the lake and ate lunch at the north end. We tried sitting at the picnic table to eat. However the ever present sand flies were out for blood so we moved to the beach. We sat on the rocky beach and ate our lunch. Many other people were doing the same. There were sun bathers, groups enjoying the beach and a family enjoying the water. They had a daughter like Jennifer. She was only 18 months and just loved the water. They had to keep a close eye on her. One thing we did notice was the lake and river had more water in it this time.

We stopped to take pictures at a roaring waterfall beside the road. Across the road was a river that the water from the falls joined into creating beautiful rapids. Further up the road was the Hollyford lookout. You could hear and see the river from up high. There were lots of the NZ Christmas trees in bloom throughout the forest. While waiting to go through the Homer Tunnel, we took pictures of the many waterfalls. There was a patch of snow with a cave in it. The Tunnel is 1219m long with a gradient of 1 in 10. The tunnel was built in 30's during the depression. Many workers had never done hard labour before or lived in such isolation. It was very hard. They did go down to Hollyford town where there was a cinema and shops. Hollyford was a very busy place at the time. It no longer exists.

The Chasm is our last stop before Milford Sound. It is still very beautiful. Again there was much more water this time so we did not see all the beautiful sculptures made by the Cleddau River. The roar and fierceness of the river was very impressive. Pictures are hard to take because of the shadows. We continued on to Milford Sound forgetting that it is only a harbour for the many fiord cruise ships and fishing vessels.

The west side of the tunnel has very steep granite walls that are very impressive. They also have many very tall waterfalls. We stopped at the east side to take more pictures. Some keas were about. A lady gave one a piece of peach. More came looking for food. They were all over the car, looking in the open doors and trunks. They were really funny.

We decided to take a trip into Gunns Camp as there was a store there. We were hot and thirsty. It was 8km on dirt road to get there. Their cooler for drinks was a hole over which spring water dripped. The cans were cooler but not cold. The camp has cabin accommodation available which are very rustic. Good for hikers. There are lots of hiking tracks available in the area.

Our last stop was at Lake Marian walk. It is just at the start of the road to Gunns Camp. We did the Gantry walk which was only a 10min trip. From there the rest of the trip to the lake is a steady uphill climb up to the lake for about 1 hr and 20 min. We left the river for awhile and lost the sound from it. As we climbed you could start to hear water rushing. Shortly, you could just see white water through the bush. The roar of the water kept getting louder and louder. We rounded a bend and there were the rapids. It was so beautiful and noisy. There was a wooden walkway for us. In places the river raged below the walkway. There was no one else about to bother us. It was very peaceful.