The Other Side of the World Days 13 & 14–Intro to Queenstown and the Fjordland National Park

Our flight out of Auckland was a midday flight, so we relaxed in the morning (and caught up on blog writing) before making our way to the domestic airport.  The terminal was bare-bones so it’s a good thing we didn’t arrive too early.  Since Quantas does not service domestic New Zealand flights, we had to fly their affiliate JetStar.  JetStar was a bit of a disappointment since it was being like flying domestically in the US…everything had an extra cost associated with it.  Luckily the flight was less than 2 hours and we were quickly approaching Queenstown Airport.

The approach into Queenstown was one of the most dramatic landings I’ve witnessed since the town sits in a low valley between mountains.  We were flying below the mountain peaks on both sides of the plane (in a small valley) for a while before finally landing.  Other than the windiness making a choppy landing, it was an awesome ending to the flight.

Our view from the plane on the approach into Queenstown

After getting settled in at the hotel, it was time for a late lunch so we caught the bus into the town center.  At the recommendation of the bus driver we dined at Fergberger, a gourmet burger takeaway that seemed to be the place to go…it was crowded.  However, my cajun chicken burger was enormous and delicious and worth the wait to enjoy.  With Susan still under the weather, the two of us and her parents stopped at the grocery to get snacks for Friday’s day-long excursion before heading back to the hotel.  While she napped, Susan’s dad and I went for a nearly 2 hour hike up into the mountain behind the hotel.  The hike followed a creek with some waterfalls that used to provide power to a generator at the bottom of the hill.  It also criss-crossed some downhill mountain bike trails as it worked toward the city gondola at the top.  We turned around before making it to the summit since we weren’t sure of how much daylight we had remaining, but it was a nice hike all told.

Waterfall along the hike (photo credit: Tom)

View during the hike (photo credit:  Tom)

Once back at the hotel, Susan and I headed into town to ride the gondola to the viewing deck with her parents.  Jen and Darin had already been up earlier in the day so remained at the hotel.  Most of the attractions at the top were closed, but the views were worth the ride.  Once down at town level, we grabbed quick dinners (soup and gelato for me) before calling it a night.

Sunset from the overlook

The gondala (with the in laws in tow)

Us in the gondala (photo credit:  Tom)

Friday started early, at sunrise, with a quick breakfast before boarding a bus for the full day excursion to the Fjordland National Park and a boat cruise through the Milford Sound (which is actually a fjord).  The drive was in a plush new “bullet coach” specially designed for the tour company including seats angled toward the window, a body made of 55% glass (including roof panels), and a streamlined shape to cut through the wind.  Luckily it was a comfortable ride since we’d spend a good 8 hours on the bus all told.

The morning trip took us around the south end of Lake Wakatipu  and through some small towns before a coffee/bathroom stop at Te Anau.  Most of the scenery through here was of lakes, mountains, and rolling farmlands where sheep, cows, and domesticated deer were being raised.  After the break, we headed north into the national park which was much more rugged through dense evergreen forests, along a riverbed, then into the mountains surrounding the fjord and boat docks.  There were a couple photo stops en route as well.

Trees inspiring ents from the LOTR (left);  New Zealand Parrot (right)

Cloudy mountains (photo credit:  DPH)

Deer farm (photo credit:  DPH)

Gone Fishin’ (photo credit:  Tom)

We arrived at the Milford Sound “harbor” just in time to hop onto our ship for a 2 hour cruise of the fjord.  This area of New Zealand is one of the rainiest spots in the world, so the run-off water creates beautiful waterfalls since there is very little shorelines.  Steep 5000-7000 ft mountains rise directly from sea level in dramatic fashion since the entire fjord was carved by a glacier during the ice age.  It was breathtaking scenery.

Waterfall in the fjord

Along the cruise, the captain taught us about the formations we were seeing and drive us very near a few of the larger waterfalls.  We were lucky enough to have the low clouds clear out for the cruise and had no rain while on the boat.  We also were incredibly lucky to see the “Milford Sound Trifecta” of wildlife.  At the start of the cruise we saw baby and mother bottle nose dolphins from a distance.  Later as we worked toward the Tasman Sea and the mouth of the fjord, we saw a number of fur seals sunning on the rocks.  On the way back into the protected area of the sound, we encountered a larger pod of bottle-nosed dolphins including some playful ones that swam right alongside the boat for a good 10 minutes…it was incredible being so close to them.  As we neared the end of the cruise, we caught only 1 of the fjord crested penguin…a rare and endangered penguin found only in Fjordland National Park.  We watched as he worked his way across the rocky terrain and disappeared into the forest before ending the cruise. 

   
Dolphins along the cruise (left – Photo credit:  DPH)

Seals sunning on the rock

Penguin walking along the cliff

Dolphin swimming around (photo credit:  Tom)

The only thing we missed out on was cruising out into the Tasman to see the entrance of the fjord.  This was due to rough waters in the Tasman.  I think the wildlife sightings more than made up for missing the coastline view.

The return bus trip to Queensland backtracked through the same roads, the only going into Milford Sound, and included the same stop at Te Anau.  The only other highlight worth mentioning of the bus trip was that we passed a grouping of trailers on the side of the road we were told was the crew filming “The Hobbit Movie”. 

Finally, after more time than I like to spend on a bus in day, we were back in downtown Queenstown.  With it being relatively late, we just returned to the hotel for dinner and to discuss the plans for our final full day of vacation.

The Other Side of the World Days 11 & 12–We be with the Kiwis in Auckland

Tuesday was taken up largely by travel.  We left the Sydney hotel at 6AM and had to deal with longer airport delays since Sydney airport is very large and we were flying internationally.  We took off near 10AM and had a nearly 3 hour flight, while also losing 2 hours to time-zone changes.  Then completed the travel portion with a 40 minute van ride to downtown Auckland and the hotel.  Apparently Auckland, New Zealand’s most populous city, has only a handful of miles of modern highway and is sprawled a large distance (especially considering the North Island is not terribly large).

Goodbye, Movember loving, Australia…

..Hello, green New Zealand

Either way, by the time we were settled into the hotel, it was near 5PM and just in time to meet with our New Zealand local host, provided by the Monograms travel service we have used for this trip.  She gave us a run-through our itinerary and suggested activities and places to eat, particularly while in Auckland. 

We left our meeting with her and headed straight to the Princess Wharf, only a couple blocks from the hotel, for dinner at the Waterfront Grill.  The food was pretty good, but we were somewhat let down by having to sit inside, limiting our view, as well as being placed near a family with a small child using his utensils as drum-sticks.

After dinner, we took a short stroll along the waterfront and investigated some of the city near the hotel before returning for bed.  The travel day wore on us and Susan was beginning to come down with a cold, probably from all the rapid climate changing we’ve been doing with this travel.

Wednesday morning began much like our first full day in Sydney, with a bus tour of Auckland.  Our driver Pete, a former Yorkie from England (and now a Westie in Auckland) was entertaining if not somewhat repetitive as he showed us the sights.  He probably strung together more slang phrases than anyone else we encountered on this trip thus far.  The bus tour included viewing the city from the highest mainland volcano at Mt. Eden (Auckland is built on 49 dormant volcanoes).  This provided views in multiple directions and you could see both the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean, the coastlines of New Zealand, as well as the harbor.  Then we travelled to the Auckland Domain, a large park that includes botanical garden and museum, with a stop at the Winter Gardens (a Pete favorite).  Next stop was at the shops and cafes of the Parnell neighborhood before returning downtown to cross the harbor bridge which was not as impressive as Sydney’s, but offered good passing views.  Finally we drove the Auckland waterfront and dropped off some other passengers at the aquarium before returning to the central business district for our drop.

On Mt. Eden
  
A couple of flowers from the Winter Gardens

Susan with some flowers at the Winter Gardens

The Auckland Harbor Bridge

View of the city

Upon returning downtown, we caught the ferry to Devonport, a small artsy community across the harbor.  We grabbed lunch at an “American themed” bar with an amusing, but somewhat absent minded proprietor.  After refueling, we split up some as some of the group hiked to the top of nearby Mt. Victoria.  The peak included an old abandoned for with a hidden cannon to protect the harbor along with 360 degree views of the sprawl of Auckland suburbs, the harbor, and the islands out in the Pacific Ocean that are also a part of New Zealand.  Arriving at the base again, I split out on my own and walked the Devonport village area, stopping at a chocolate shop, before heading along the shore for a stroll.  Susan had returned to the hotel since the cold was wearing on her, so I didn’t stroll too long alone before grabbing the ferry back downtown and returning to the hotel to check in on her. 

Mo Mo Movember

Susan along her tour of every cider made in Australia & New Zealand

After some R&R at the hotel, the family gathered in the lobby around 7:30PM to head to our evening dinner reservation.  Our guide suggested dining in the rotating Orbit restaurant at the top of the Auckland Sky Tower, the tallest viewing tower in the southern hemisphere.  We arrived early to watch the sunset from the viewing deck below the restaurant before heading up a floor to grab our table.  The views were impressive as the tower is far and away the tallest outlook point in the Auckland area.  The dinner was good, but a little more gourmet than what we would have on a regular basis.  Still it was nice to have an occasion to dress up and go out a little more fancy than usual. 

Looking down the glass window on the floor of the elevator

Sunset from the Skytower

Looking down on the streets of Auckland through the glass floor at the Skytower

It’s Christmas-time in Kiwi-land

The late dinner returned us to the hotel late, so we prepared for our departure to the last stop of this vacation before heading to bed.  Tomorrow we move to the south island and check out Queenstown, the adventure capital of New Zealand.

The Other Side of the World Day 10–Harry Potter and the Sydney Harbor Ferries

Monday morning had nothing scheduled until 9AM, so I took advantage of the time to go for a morning run.  I was able to make my way through the Domain and the Botanical Gardens, out near the Opera House, under the Harbor Bridge, and along Darling Harbor before returning to the hotel.  There were plenty of others out getting a morning workout, which was nice to see. 

The rest of the early morning was breakfast and more failed attempts at getting low-cost internet access, which is like pulling teeth in Australia.  Today, Susan and I had our own morning plans.  The science and technology museum, The Powerhouse, had a Harry Potter exhibit that was very popular.  We toured the (no cameras allowed) exhibit, which included a huge selection of actual movie props and costumes.  Pretty much any and every object of importance to the plot-lines were included in the exhibit, so it was a lot of fun for fans of the HP series.  With already being in the museum, the two of us quickly toured some of the other exhibits before making our way back to the Circular Quay to meet Jen and Darin for lunch.

    
Susan with the exhibit ad; A picture just outside the exhibit

Looking down into the museum

Me with an ancient bicycle

The plan for the day was to take advantage of the well-developed public transportation system and see whatever we had time for.  For this reason, we invested in the MyMulti day pass, which gave us access to all rail, bus, and ferry options for 24 hours.  So after taking trains to and from the Powerhouse, we hopped a ferry with Jen and Darin and headed out along the eastern harbor to Watson’s Bay.  Doyle’s, a seafood restaurant renowned for their fish n chips was the plan for lunch.  They have a take-away hut on the wharf with picnic seating nearby and reasonably priced food, but this option was cash only, something we were short of on our last day in Australia.  The other option was the original hotel restaurant along the beach.  We grabbed a table at the hotel, and after looking at the menu ($40+ per person for fish n chips was the lowest cost item) decided we better find an ATM.  Now we know why the locals recommend getting carry out from Doyle’s.  In the end, the take-away had delicious fish n chips and we were able to enjoy it in the park next to the shore, so it was worth the ferry ride.

    
Two of our transportation options

Doyle’s Fisherman’s Wharf Takaway

The four of us caught the ferry back to the Circular Quay after lunch before immediately boarding another ferry to cross the harbor.  This time we landed near Luna Park, a small amusement park just near the base of the northern side of the harbor bridge.  Not really interested in the park, the plan here was to walk along the bridge.  After a short uphill hike through the Kiribilli neighborhood, we ascended onto the pedestrian potion of the bridge (they also have a dedicated bike lane, 2 way train traffic, and 8 lanes of car traffic…for a bridge built in the 1930’s) and crossed back into Sydney.  The walk was enjoyable offering a different view of the skyline and some of the other harbor bays and neighborhoods.  There were also a lot of runners and walkers on the bridge and we could see some tourists participating in the bridge climb (up the archway) and getting views from atop one of the bridge towers. 

A shot of the bridge/opera house from the ferry

Us along the bridge

The best part:  the Luna Park man’s ‘stache was just for Movember

Once we left the bridge, again in the Rocks neighborhood, we came off just next to the old Australian Hotel Susan and I had stopped in a few nights prior, so hopped in for an afternoon drink…a quick pit-stop on the return to the hotel.  At the hotel, we met Susan’s parents again, who had an adventure all their own, taking trains out of town to the Blue Mountains for the day.  This is an area, among many others, that I would have loved to visit given more time.  I think we left much unexplored in Sydney since has so much to offer.

Anyways, once completely regrouped and cleaned up for the evening.  We returned to Circular Quay and caught yet another ferry to McMahon’s Point on the north shore of the harbor, but further inland (west of downtown).  From here we watched the sunset and got a view of the opera house below the harbor bridge, a new perspective.  Exhausted from the days’ excursions, we then returned to the Quay via ferry and grabbed dinner near the wharves at a casual café-style restaurant before returning to the hotel for bed.  We had an early pick-up for the airport since we will be leaving Australia tomorrow and beginning on our New Zealand portion of the vacation.  

A pirate ship in Sydney Harbor?

The bridge at sunset

Us with the bridge and opera house

The Other Side of the World Days 8 & 9–Life in the Big Sydney

Our Saturday flight from Alice Springs was a midday flight from a small airport, so there was no rush to get on the road quickly in the morning.  I took advantage by “hiring” a mountain bike for free from the hotel and taking a spin around the desert.  Since most of the hills are sacred to the aborigines, they are not developed and riding could only be done in the valleys.  Still I enjoyed a nice cruise around the perimeter of the main part of town, complete with getting lost a couple times and covered around 13 miles in total.  Especially considering its small population, Alice Springs has a nicely developed bike infrastructure.

After the ride, it was breakfast at the casino and preparing for departure to Sydney.  Since we lost an hour and a half to time zones in transit, travel (and watching Rise of the Planet of the Apes on the plane) took up most of the day and we arrived at our hotel in Sydney just before 7PM local time.  Still, it was a Saturday and dinner time so we made our way out on the town.  After a short stroll, we found a Bavarian Beer Garden (think more upscale Hofbrahaus) and enjoyed a delicious meal…one of the best overall of the trip.  After dinner, Susan and I decided to explore the other direction from the hotel and headed into the historical Rocks district.  We found an old hotel/bar that was recommended by her travel guide, so we stopped for a drink and caught part of a fireworks show taking place near the Harbor Bridge.  It was a good welcome for our arrival to Sydney.

The reflection of our plane in the ocean off the coast of Sydney

Sunday morning started as most do for us…early.  We had a scheduled half day bus tour of Sydney that picked us up from the hotel at 7AM.  After an extensive tour of the hotels in the area as we corralled other tour-goers, we got on our way around 8.  The tour was mostly cruising through downtown near the Rocks, the downtown parks, Kings Cross, the eastern suburbs, the Gap (opening of the harbor to the ocean), and Bondi beach before returning to the Circular Quay to drop us off near the Opera House.  There were a couple photo stops en route, but it was mostly a drive-by overview of the major sights.

The family in front of the opera house and harbor bridge

Surfers at Bondi Beach
    
Other water athletes at Bondi

After the tour, we headed directly to the Opera House for a midday tour.  The tour was interesting and included entry into a couple theatres where final preparations were going on for the evening shows.  We were able to see the Sydney Girls Choir rehearse a song and a dance school rehearsing a recital routine.  Also, the tour included history of the design and construction.  Following the tour was a late lunch at an Noodle “take away” restaurant in the Rocks.

Inside the opera house

View of Sydney through the opera house walls

Close-up of the roof

With all the mornings’ activities, some of the group returned to the hotel to take a nap.  I took this opportunity to explore some more of downtown Sydney on foot.  Highlights included St Mary’s Cathedral, Hyde Park, the Westfield Mall, and Sussex Street.  A couple hours of walking complete, it was time to regroup and plan for dinner.  The evening of our first full day in Sydney, we walked to the Wharf at Darling Harbor and ate at an outdoor casual sports bar.  The food was good, but nothing notable.

Tomorrow we have another full day in Sydney to check out more of the city.  They way it is laid out all along the harbor with the various bays makes for stunning city-scape views and tons of areas to explore, so it should be a busy day.