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2020 New Zealand & Tahiti

tammikuuta - helmikuuta 2020
Time to explore more of the beautiful Pacific with a 3-week coach tour of New Zealand and a 1-week cruise around the islands of Tahiti/French Polynesia. Lue lisää
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  • 34päivää
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  • Matkaaja2020 New Zealand & Tahiti
    Päivä 12

    Feb 2 - An afternoon to myself!!

    2. helmikuuta 2020, Uusi Seelanti ⋅ 🌙 22 °C

    After the museum, we drove along the water’s edge. Wellington is built on hills that butt right up to the shore. Houses hang off the sides of the hills everywhere. Because many of these houses are not accessible by road, people have put in private cable car systems. That’s a good way to get your groceries up and your geriatric dog down. Ingenious.

    We went up to the top of Mount Victoria which is 196 metres high. From there, we enjoyed panoramic views of the city. But boy, was it windy!!

    We had the afternoon and evening to ourselves. I hoofed to the grocery store and got broccoli salad, a sandwich and some fruit salad for lunch, and yogurt with granola and coleslaw for dinner. After lunch Chez Hotel Room, I headed out. First stop, St. Mary of the Angels Church where I wanted to go to mass at 5:00 p.m. Once I knew where it was, I could then spend time exploring. Jenny and I went up a funicular to the top of another hill where I enjoyed more glorious views and learned a few more things about trams at the little tram museum.

    I came back down the tram and walked along the waterfront which is full of shops and cafés and a big place that was celebrating the Chinese New Year. By then it was time to head to mass. It was really nice - we said some of the responses in Maori using the words projected on a screen. Very cool.

    It was time to call it a day. Doug and I were able to video chat. He went to the military museum today (the one with the great stain glass in the lobby) and then discovered young men playing cricket on the nearby pitches. By the end of the match, he was their official manager. He now knows a lot more about cricket and he cadged dinner out of the guys too. The concierge at the hotel is working on finding rugby for him to watch. Tomorrow’s treat for him - watching the Super Bowl at noon. He’s still not 100%, but we’ve come to know that the last 10% recovery for him takes a long time.    Lue lisää

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  • Matkaaja2020 New Zealand & Tahiti
    Päivä 13

    Feb 3 - South via Ferry, Train & Coach

    3. helmikuuta 2020, Uusi Seelanti ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    Will post the pictures for this footprint later today.....

    We were on the bus at 7:30 a.m. A few minutes later, we were at the ferry terminal. We had to be there good and early so that Linda could a prime parking spot for the bus close to the exit ramp. We climbed on as foot passengers (a regulation) but were able to board the coach for disembarkation.

    Our destination was Picton on the South Island travelling via ferry across the Cook Strait that separates the North Island and the South Island. In true GPT fashion, we had a lounge area all to ourselves. We promptly started spreading our paperwork out as we had to choose our excursions for the middle of the week. Linda helped us each to make our choices. Stay tuned to see what I chose. Hint - at least one is an activity that Doug would NEVER do.

    The crossing on the Interislander Ferry was 3.5 hours and today, despite the windy conditions in Wellington, was extremely smooth. About halfway through, a cart came around serving warm scones with butter, jam and whipped cream. This travelling thing can make a girl peckish, so I downed one and then helped Jenny to finish up the other half of hers. That thin milk better start working soon. I spent some time on the side deck for a while to enjoy the panoramic views through the Marlborough Sounds. Winston Churchill’s family were Marlboroughs. He was born at Blenheim Palace (Doug and I have been there) - there is a town of Blenheim along the train route that we are going to take. Somebody who named places around here liked that family.

    We arrived right on schedule in Picton on another warm, sunny day. I changed into a t-shirt and shorts from the warm clothes that I had expected I would need on the ferry. We had about an hour for lunch so I found the grocery store and got caramel yogurt and Bundaberg lemonade so I could support the NZ dairy industry and a longterm Australian company. I found a spot by the water and soaked in the sunshine while giving the lurking sea gulls and geese the evil eye.

    Picton has something that I've seen in a lot of other NZ locations - free public toilets. These ones are self-contained units - toilet, sink and hand dryer. A lovely voice tells you that you have 10 minutes to do your stuff. Then elevator music plays to disguise the sound of whatever you are doing. Canada - lets get these!!!

    About 2:00 p.m., we boarded the train in Picton to enjoy the Coastal Pacific, a spectacular rail journey that follows a thin wedge of land between the Pacific Ocean and the Kaikoura Ranges. Linda will meet us in Kaikoura and we’ll continue from there to Christchurch. We felt like a bunch of rookies being allowed to solo for the first time!

    The countryside that the train is travelling though is hilly with lots of forests. There is evidence of clearcutting on one side. We are passing farms too - just like in the North Island, things are pretty brown because of the prolong dry spell. We have headsets and occasionally there are commentaries about each area - people who shaped the area, geological events, the local industries and Maori legends that explain the topography.

    The train does go all the way to Christchurch but it would get us in very, very late. GPT has found that going as far as Kaikoura by train and continuing on by coach lets us enjoy the most scenic partsof the trip but gets us into Christchurch at a more reasonable hour. Out dinner has been all prearranged for us - we made our menu choices a few days ago. GPT knows how to make effective use of our time.

    We passed Lake Grassmere, which more a lagoon than a lake. Close to the sea, it has a high salinity. Along with the high winds and the strong sun, the area is ideal for salt extraction. A large range of salts with slightly different chemical compositions, grain sizes and shapes are produced at Lake Grassmere. All table salt produced in New Zealand is solar salt, and both iodised and non-iodised table salt are available.

    An unexpected sight that wasn’t on the GPT agenda - four guys mooned us!

    We saw huge vineyards as we passed through the premier grape growing region of New Zealand. Olive growing is now big business here too. The vineyards are enormous in comparison to the smaller, more boutique-style wineries that dominate the Niagara area.

    The train began to run right alongside the water’s edge - the South Pacific Ocean - if you looked really, really carefully, you could see the next land mass - Chile - only 9000 kms away! The water was a soft emerald green, in contrast to the very green and sometimes very brown steep hills on the other side of the tracks.

    A devastating earthquake in November of 2016 badly damaged this rail line and road that parallels it. In an incredible feat of engineering fortitude, the first train travelled on the rebuilt line just 10 months later. Repair/reinforcement work is still going on as a result of that earthquake.

    Kaikoura used to be a thriving whaling centre. When the whaling industry declined, so did the town. But then the whales came back and Kaikoura is now a major centre for whale watching expeditions.

    The views along the coastline were delightful as were wound our way along, sometimes passing underneath hills/mountains via narrow tunnels. Along the water’s edge, we got to see seals sunning themselves on the rocks. Seals like to just eat and sleep. Me too.

    We go to the hotel just after 8:00 a.m. - a long day of travel by coach, ferry and train, but a very enjoyable one that has my mind bumming with wonderful images of this gorgeous country.

    We had just enough time to tidy up before dinner. We ate in a solarium that we had all to ourselves. The food was superb and the company, as always, interesting and entertaining.

    The bathroom in my room has a heated towel rack and a heated floor. Pretty classy place - it’s a sister hotel to the one we stayed at in Rotorua, but with less bling.

    Doug and I video chatted again. He went to the gym and then watched the Super Bowl (KC beat SF much to the delight of some of my fellow travellers). We’re both counting down the days until next Thursday when there is going to be a tearful reunion at the Auckland airport.    Lue lisää

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  • Matkaaja2020 New Zealand & Tahiti
    Päivä 13

    Feb 4 - The Antarctic Exhibit

    3. helmikuuta 2020, Saksa ⋅ 🌧 7 °C

    No wakeup call this morning!! Rats, I was awake at 6:06 a.m. I was the first of our group down for breakfast - I ate in the lovely solarium where we dined last night.

    We have to be on the bus by 9:30 a.m. I got a load of washing in before we left - there are free laundry facilities here. More hotels need that feature.

    Our stop for this morning was the Antarctic Centre. Christchurch is one of five gateway cities for Antarctic expeditions . Lindsay was our guide.

    Antarctica is Earth's southernmost continent. It contains the geographic South Pole and is situated in the Antarctic region of the Southern Hemisphere, almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle, and is surrounded by the Southern Ocean. At 14,200,000 square kilometres (5,500,000 square miles), it is the fifth-largest continent and nearly twice the size of Australia. About 98% of Antarctica is covered by ice that averages 1.9 km (1.2 mi; 6,200 ft) in thickness, which extends to all but the northernmost reaches of the Antarctic Peninsula.

    Antarctica, on average, is the coldest, driest, and windiest continent, and has the highest average elevation of all the continents. Most of Antarctica is a polar desert, with annual precipitation of 200 mm (7.9 in) along the coast and far less inland; there has been no rain there for almost 2 million years, yet 80% of the world freshwater reserves are stored there. The temperature in Antarctica has reached −89.2 °C (−128.6 °F), though the average for the third quarter (the coldest part of the year) is −63 °C (−81 °F). Anywhere from 1,000 to 5,000 people reside throughout the year at research stations scattered across the continent. Organisms native to Antarctica include many types of algae, bacteria, fungi, plants, protista, and certain animals, such as mites, nematodes, penguins, seals and tardigrades. Vegetation, where it occurs, is tundra. Ongoing experiments are conducted by more than 4,000 scientists from many nations.

    Our first activity was a ride in a Hägglund, a tracked all-terrain amphibious Antarctic vehicle that’s been built to conquer the rough terrain on the ice. These vehicles were originally developed by Hägglunds in 1974 for the Swedish Army. We bumped and swayed over an obstacle course designed to simulate Antarctic conditions - steep hills, boulders, crevasses, and corduroy roads. Great fun, but definitely not for the faint of heart or the weak of stomach.

    Inside the building, we suited up in parkas and booties for a session in the Blizzard Room. Now, for a Canadian girl, standing in -8 deg C with a windchill factor of -18 deg C isn't exactly a new experience. Can't say I've stood around in those temps in shorts before, though. The point of it all was to show the effect that the ferocious winds in the Antarctic have on the temperatures. Lindsay must have no nerve endings in his arms because he stood there with us in short sleeves.

    Our next stop was to see a 4-D movie which is a 3-D movie with special effects like shaking chairs, water spray and fake snow. The photography in the movie of the Antarctic was fabulous.

    Our next stop was to see the little blue penguins. The are birds at this facility are ones that have been injured by getting caught in fishing nets or attacked by animals or even by humans. They are generally nocturnal creatures, so they were pretty placid.

    We are all now much more knowledgeable about this huge continent that serves to keep our planet rotating properly on its axis.

    For all you animals lovers that are following along, there was a Husky Dog exhibit outside. The story of exploration in Antarctica is the story of the husky. When the bitter cold and brutal conditions proved unsuitable for horses, explorers looked for a tough, intelligent and hardworking travelling companion. Huskies stepped up to the job and provided the main form of transport, pulling sleds for teams right up until 1994.    Lue lisää

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  • Matkaaja2020 New Zealand & Tahiti
    Päivä 14

    Feb 4 - Tram ride in Christchurch

    4. helmikuuta 2020, Uusi Seelanti ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    Jenny and I decided to get lunch together and then ride the tram for which Linda had given us all tickets. After a nice lunch, we hopped on the tram to see the sights, some of which Linda had pointed out to us when we had taken the long route back from the Antarctic Exhibit.

    Christchurch, with a population of just under 400,000 is the largest city on the South Island and is the seat of the Canterbury Region (like a province or state).

    The city suffered a series of earthquakes between September 2010 and January 2012, with the most destructive of them occurring at 12.51 p.m. on Tuesday, 22 February 2011, in which 185 people were killed and thousands of buildings across the city collapsed or suffered severe damage. By late 2013, 1,500 buildings in the city had been demolished, leading to an ongoing recovery and rebuilding project.

    Evidence of the devastation is still starkly evident everywhere. The saddest example is Christ Church Cathedral which sits almost as it was on nearly 9 years ago. There are huge areas where buildings used to stand; there is one area where rare birds are now nesting on the stubs of concrete pillars with rebar sticking out of them; there is a touching memorial of 185 white chairs honouring the 185 victims; there is scaffolding everywhere. The city, with tremendous grit and resilience, has risen above the horror and carnage of that fateful day and is about 75% finished rebuilding. Building standards have changed dramatically to try to ensure that future events do not cause as much damage. The city is being reorganized into "precincts" with like services grouped together - emergency, law and order, entertainment, retail and so on. It would be interesting to visit here in 10 years to to see the completed city. Such an undertaking must require enormous amounts of patience, logistical smarts, fortitude, and of course, money.

    One building that I didn't get a picture of is the Cardboard Cathedral, formerly known as the Transitional Cathedral. This is a temporary cathedral built to replace Christ Church Cathedral until repairs could be done to that venerable old building. The Cardboard Cathedral is an A-frame structure made of 60-centimetre (24 in)-diameter cardboard tubes, timber and steel. The roof is of polycarbon with eight shipping containers forming the walls. The foundation is concrete slab. The front of the building is decorated with triangular pieces of stained glass. The building can seat 700 people for services and for concerts and meetings. An ingenious solution to a huge problem.

    Several of us trundled down the street to "The Bog", an Irish restaurant recommended by Linda. There was a Irish band playing there that night so the place was almost fully blocked off with reservations. We managed to snag one of the few remaining tables. The food was great; the laughs were many; the music was fun; and the singing was loud. We had a really nice evening.

    Early wake up tomorrow - time for more adventures.    Lue lisää

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  • Matkaaja2020 New Zealand & Tahiti
    Päivä 15

    Feb 5 - The TranzAlpine Train

    5. helmikuuta 2020, Uusi Seelanti ⋅ 🌧 11 °C

    Our mission for today was to head west to the other side of the island and then head south to Fox Glacier - yes, in glacier country. We boarded the TranzAlpine train for departure at 8:15 a.m. This train trip is described as one of the great train journeys of the world. (The Rocky Mountaineer must rank very highly too.) It wends itself across the mountainous spine of the country in spectacular fashion. Our destination was Arthur’s Pass, about half-way to the west coast. Linda drove the bus to meet us there. The views are actually better by road from there to the coast. Our road journey today was in jeopardy due to road washouts from torrential rainfall during the last couple of days in the west. Fortunately, the great road crews got the affected sections cleared in time for us to travel as scheduled. The west coast of New Zealand gets the second most rainfall of anywhere on earth. An island near Hawaii wins the dubious prize for rainiest place on earth.

    Starting at Christchurch on the east coast of the South Island, the TranzAlpine trundled across the vast patchwork plains of Canterbury - one of New Zealand's primary agricultural regions. On the far side of the plains, we could see where the Southern Alps rise from the plains like megalithic skyscrapers, creating a seemingly impenetrable barrier. For many years, Springfield was the end of the line with the Alps forming a formidable blockade. Eventually, a route to the West Coast through the Alps was agreed upon and construction began. This section, between Springfield and the township of Arthur's Pass, is considered a masterpiece of railway engineering and is the section for which the TranzAlpine is most famed.

    The route firstly heads north-east to join the Waimakariri River gorge. This aqua-blue river will appear and disappear out of your window several times as the TranzAlpine clings and climbs up the cliffs above it. During the ascent to the high plains of Craigieburn, there are 15 short tunnels and four dramatic viaducts, including the 72-metre high Staircase Viaduct.

    The most iconic views come at the far end of the Craigieburn Straight, where the high plains stretch out to give a stunning view of Mount Binser and the edges of Arthur's Pass National Park. Shortly after, the train meets again with the Waimakariri River and then crosses it to reach Arthur's Pass. This section is stunningly beautiful and is where the famous views of the TranzAlpine crossing the Waimakariri River are taken.

    The views were simply stunning during our 2.5 hour trip. Fertile plains, viaducts, gorges, river valleys, mountains, streams, little waterfalls and dense forests - we saw it all. I'm hoping a few of my pictures will give you a sense of the grandeur.    Lue lisää

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  • Matkaaja2020 New Zealand & Tahiti
    Päivä 16

    Feb 5 - The Coast and Glacier Country

    6. helmikuuta 2020, Uusi Seelanti ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C

    We drove for about 2 hours to the little coastal town of Hokitika for a lunch break. We had the chance to visit a shop selling New Zealand greenstone - it’s like jade. I don’t need more jewelry so I tried some other stores. I found a sweet little glass blue penguin instead. Hokitika is noted for its driftwood sculptures - found one that spells the name of the town. Cool. I splurged on Hoki Poki ice cream, despite that thin milk not doing its job.

    From there, we headed south towards Fox Glacier. In this part of New Zealand, life is dominated by water - rainfall, glacial water feed, landslides, flooding streams and rivers, bridges, viaducts - you name, it's here. The landscape is ever-changing because of the continual effects of water.

    The road twisted and turned and rose and fell, giving us unending panoramic views of the mountains and valleys and rivers. We saw many scars on the sides of the hills where landslides have occurred - many of them cutting off the only road in the area. Road building and maintenance and repair is an art form in this country. There was a vicious rain storm in December - there was stark evidence of the damage that it did.

    We did a quick comfort stop (Linda knows every loo in NZ) in Hari Hari. This little town's claim to fame is that it was here that Guy Menzies landed in 1931 - he was the first person to fly solo from Australia/Sydney to New Zealand - and at the age of 21 at that.

    We eventually got into the little town of Fox Glacier - we are only here one night. We have rooms with balconies that overlook the mountains. We are hoping that the cloud cover will lift so we can see the actual Fox Glacier tomorrow.    Lue lisää

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  • Matkaaja2020 New Zealand & Tahiti
    Päivä 16

    Feb 6 - Jet Boating!

    6. helmikuuta 2020, Uusi Seelanti ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    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!    Lue lisää

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  • Matkaaja2020 New Zealand & Tahiti
    Päivä 16

    Feb 6 - Heading to Queenstown

    6. helmikuuta 2020, Uusi Seelanti ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    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!

    We continued our trip south. Linda kept us entertained with stories about adventurers who explored this part of NZ and opened it up for settlement. Every couple of minutes, there was another canyon or river. We passed the point where the two tectonic plates meet and have actually split the rock formations. New Zealand lies at the edge of both the Australian and Pacific tectonic plates. To the northeast of New Zealand, and underneath North Island, the Pacific Plate is moving towards, and being subducted below the Australian Plate. To the south of New Zealand, and underneath Fiordland, the two plates are also moving toward each other but here the Australian Plate is being subducted under the Pacific Plate.

    The landscape changed from dense forests and mountains to plains where sheep and cattle farming are done. We got into another wine area with vineyards climbing up the mountain sides. The area is also noted for its apricot and cherry harvests.

    Beautiful Lake Wanaka and Lake Hawea with their emerald green waters enchanted us. Our eyes and minds are stuffed full of these glorious views.

    The landscape changed yet again - this time there was almost no vegetation on the upper slopes. We came to Arrowtown, a historic gold mining town in the Otago region. Gold was found in the Arrow River in 1862, and a township of 1,000 miners soon sprang up. It was initially named Fox's, based on William Fox's claim to have been first to find gold there, but was soon renamed Arrowtown. At the high point of the gold rush the population of Arrowtown rose to over 7,000 and it became the center of a larger municipality, which covered the new settlements of Macetown, Skippers Canyon and Bullendale (today only ghost towns). Today, the population is about 2,500 and it has many well-preserved buildings used by European and Chinese immigrants dating from the gold mining days of the town. We had a chance to explore the museum that captured the many aspects of the gold mining heyday of the town.

    From there, it was a short drive to our final destination of the day - Queenstown on beautiful Lake Wakatipu. This is where adventure seekers gravitate - here, you can enjoy kayaking, skiing, snowboarding, parasailing, paragliding, sky diving, mountain biking, tramping (aka hiking), jet boating, and bungee jumping. The world's first permanent commercial bungee site, the Kawarau Bridge Bungy at the Kawarau Gorge Suspension Bridge near Queenstown was opened by New Zealander, A J Hackett.

    Queenstown lies close to the centre of a small wine producing region, reputed to be the world's southernmost. The Two Paddocks vineyard is owned by internationally known local actor Sam Neill.

    The town is awash in tourists - there would be more if flights from China were still coming into New Zealand - they have been suspended due to the coronavirus. Fully one-quarter of all tourism business in New Zealand comes from China.

    Our hotel is modelled after ski lodges in Canada - mine has a couch and a huge TV. Still missing my bed buddy. I walked downtown and found the grocery store. I got a big salad, some fruit, milk and oooops, how did that Whittakers milk chocolate bar get in my bag??? I climbed back up Heart Attack Hill and dined Chez Hotel Room. It’s been a long day. Had a good video chat with Doug. He’s working his way through all of Auckland’s museums and getting a LOT of reading done.

    I have tomorrow to myself until 5:15 p.m. There is going to be some sleeping in to get the day started!    Lue lisää

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  • Matkaaja2020 New Zealand & Tahiti
    2
    Päivä 17

    Feb 7 - Queenstown - action central!

    7. helmikuuta 2020, Uusi Seelanti ⋅ 🌙 5 °C

    A full day, at least until 5:15 p.m., all to myself. I had breakfast with Tony and Shannon. When they scuttled off to do a canyon tour, I moved one table over and continued eating with Jennifer and David who, like me, are taking advantage of some free time. After I had eaten twice, Ian pointed out to me that there is a pancake machine. I will be all over that baby tomorrow morning.

    The sun was making a good effort to break through the clouds, so I headed back down Heart Attack Hill to the gondola ride with my discount coupon clenched in my hand. I travelled up the gondola to Bob’s Peak with a lovely couple from Brisbane who have been here for a week. The views from the observation deck at the top of Lake Wakatipu and Cecil Peak and Walter Peak were glorious. (I’m running out of adjectives and superlatives to describe the views here in NZ.) The jade green of the water is mesmerizing. The top of this hill is a beehive of activity - luging (like I did in Rotorua), bungee jumping, zip lining, mountain biking (lots of Go Pro cameras on those dare devils), and paragliding. I had never seen paragliding up close before. I drank in the views again and again, and finally headed back down on the gondola, turning down the opportunity to do the 5.5 hour hike down the side of the mountain.

    On my way back to the downtown area of Queenstown, I saw the iFly building. iFly is indoor sky diving - it’s done in a huge tube with wind rushing up from the bottom. My son John’s girlfriend Sheila’s father, Trevor (got that???) flies all over the world overseeing the installation of these facilities to ensure that all the safety standards for equipment and training are met. iFly welcomes spectators - I saw a young girl try it and then the expert did a short show with seemingly effortless agility.

    I picked up lunch at the grocery store (more of those milk chocolate Whittakers bars climbed into my bag…..) and found myself a spot on the waterfront in the glorious sunshine. I watched jet skiing, jet boating, paddle boating, stand up paddling, kayaking, sailing and just plain boating. Overhead, I’m sure there was parachuting happening. Queenstown is just an adventure mecca. Afterwards, I kept walking along the waterfront which brought me into the Queenston Botanical Gardens. I watched a group of young men playing frisbee/disc golf - another sport I had never seen. I walked all along the shoreline and then headed inland where I found the Rose Garden. The blooms are a tad past their prime, but I found a couple of gems. Roses in February - what a treat. I trundled back down to the entrance via the duck pond and the fountain and the band shell. I headed home, back up Heart Attack Hill and was glad to kick off my shoes - 8 miles for today. Guess I earned those Whittaker bars.

    We are heading across the lake this evening to have a barbecue dinner. Won't be back until late. Tomorrow, we will be staying overnight on a ship in Doubtful Sound. No internet there, so I won't be posting again until Sunday. So, don't worry about me!    Lue lisää

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