Rotorua
January 3, 2018 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C
We made it!!! We had a good flight to Auckland and drove from there directly to Rotorua. We had great weather most of the day - a warm sunny 28 degrees. We passed some beautiful scenery of greenRead more
Ready to go
January 3, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C
Sipping coffee at Brisbane International Airport. We'll be flying to Auckland at 8:15. Getting a bit excited now 😀😀😀
Rotorua to Taupo
January 4, 2018 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌬 10 °C
This morning we went for a walk through Whakarewarewa Thermal Reserve to see the geothermal geysers and mud pools. We then drove south to beautiful Lake Taupo.
Hastings - finding ancestors
January 5, 2018 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌬 22 °C
Well what a great day!!! We drove to Hastings to visit the cemetery and I found G-G-Grandfather Thomas Long and G-G-Grandmother Elizabeth Long, as well as three of their sons.
More in Hastings
January 5, 2018 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌬 22 °C
While in Hastings I also found the hardware shop where Thomas Long worked - F L Bone. A lovely lady called Julie showed us around and told us the history and all about the Bone family. It isn't just aRead more
Napier
January 5, 2018 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌬 22 °C
We had a wander around Napier today. It's a lovely seaside town with stunning Art Deco architecture. We then went for a drive to Bluff Hill for an amazing view over Napier's port just in time to watchRead more
Walking tour of Napier
January 5, 2018 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C
In the afternoon we went on a guided walking tour to hear all about the earthquake of 1931 which devastated the town. It was completely rebuilt in the Art Deco style in only two years which isRead more
Napier to Wellington
January 6, 2018 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
We said goodbye to Napier this morning and drove south to Waipukurau, which is where my great grandparents got married. I don't know which church they got married in - Anglican or Presbyterian - so IRead more
Wellington to Picton to Christchurch
January 7, 2018 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C
We caught the Inter-island ferry from Wellington to Picton early this morning. It was a little bit rough in the open sea but quite enjoyable. We met a lovely NZ couple from Napier (him) and HastingsRead more
Lake Tekapo
January 8, 2018 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C
We left Christchurch early and headed south west to Lake Tekapo where we saw the beautiful little Church of the Good Shepherd which sits on the edge of the lake. We also stopped to see a hydroelectricRead more
Queenstown
January 8, 2018 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C
After another long day of driving, we arrived in Queenstown at 3.30pm. We have a stunning view of the town and the gondola ride up the mountain from the balcony of our apartment which we will callRead more
Day trip to Milford Sound
January 9, 2018 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C
Today we went on a full day bus tour to Milford Sound - another big day, leaving Queenstown at 7.30am and returning at 8.45pm. We saw lots of beautiful scenery on the way there, and also during theRead more
Gibbston Valley Winery
January 10, 2018 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C
I went on a lovely tour of Gibbston Valley Winery just outside Queenstown today. Went into the "wine cave" and saw the oak barrels where the wine is matured and tasted four of their different wines.Read more
Dunedin
January 11, 2018 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌬 26 °C
We arrived in Dunedin at about 11.00am and went to see Larvach Castle which is south of the city. It's very pretty with views back towards Dunedin and out to the end of the peninsula to the ocean. WeRead more
Christchurch
January 12, 2018 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C
We drove from Dunedin to Christchurch and spent most of the day looking around the city. We walked from our hotel, across Hagley Park, through the botanical gardens to the city centre. It was sad toRead more
Beverley Smith
The hotel we stayed in, opposite the Cathedral, was destroyed in the earthquake....but seeing the Cathedral still in ruins is so sad.
