Feb 6 - Jet Boating!

Happy Waitangi Day everyone! This is the anniversary of the signing of the Waitangi Treaty - the birth of the country of New Zealand, on Feb 6, 1840. Happy 180th birthday!!

Nine of us were up early and ready to go at 7:30 a.m. Our hoped-for adventure of a helicopter ride over and a landing on the Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers got scuttled by heavy, low cloud. Too bad - it would have been a cool experience.

So, off we went for another adventure - the Haast River Safari. The trip there was full of more spectacular views, especially those of the Tasman Sea at Bruce Bay.

We all climbed on the jet boat, donned our yellow life vests, and wondered what was in store. Lee, our driver, treated us to a trip along the Haast River which has forest-covered mountains on both sides, dotted with numerous waterfalls. He kept up, as we have come to expect of Kiwis, a steady banter about the river and his adventures driving on it. The trip concluded with a couple of spin outs. Lots of whoops and hollers for those!Read more