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Friday Fotos – Along the shore at New Zealand’s Lake Wanaka

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Playing along Lake Wanaka
The wind wasn’t stopping these two little girls from having fun along Lake Wanaka.

To the best of my recollection, this was a bit of a blustery day. It was also the day that everything changed. First, let’s start with the photo. The wind didn’t seem to bother these two carefree little girls as they played along the shores of Lake Wanaka. This, however, was the day that everything on our land tour changed.

This photo was taken on Day 9, but the problem is that we were never supposed to be in Wanaka. On Day 9, our next stop was supposed to be at the end of a train ride through the New Zealand Alps. However, a 100-year storm wiped out the only road and the railroad tracks to our destination. Imagine the frantic tour guide and his home office trying to find accommodations for 50 people for a one-night stay with less than twenty-four hours to spare. That would definitely be stressful!

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Friday Fotos – Lindis Pass – a change in plans

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Lindle Pass
Welcome to Lindle Pass. There’s not much out here except road, blue skies, and sun.

Lindis Pass was a change in plans

Land Tour - Day 9
Queenstown back to Dunedin after the road is washed out

This was a windy stop on our road trip, but Lindis Pass was the only way to get from Queenstown to our next stop, which was a change in plans after the road washed out due to torrential rains. As a matter of fact, not only did the road wash out, but so did the railroad tracks for the train trip we were scheduled to make. The tour company did an amazing job of finding accommodations for about fifty people in a matter of hours.

We considered ourselves fortunate, however, because the people on the tour ahead of ours (which had started about a week ahead of us) were stranded in a high school gymnasium.

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Friday Fotos – a perfect reflection at Mirror Lakes

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Mountains reflected in Mirror Lakes
The mountains in this photo are a reflection in the water of Mirror Lakes. The water is also crystal clear, so we see under as well as on top.

This perfect reflection at Mirror Lakes was captivating. As I said last week, we’d heard about the beauty, but not much could prepare us for seeing these mountains in the water. Add to that the crystal clear visibility—both in the water and the air—and this was a recipe for an amazing experience.

Land Tour - Day 11

Here’s the map showing our route for Day 11 of our land tour. The day began in Te Anau, then we headed off to Mirror Lakes and Milford Sound. I am so glad I wasn’t driving!

Want to see last week’s post? Check it out here.

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Friday Fotos – Skyline Queenstown, top of the mountain

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This is the end of the line for the gondola lift out of Queenstown up the mountain to Skyline Queenstown.
This is the end of the line for the gondola lift out of Queenstown up the mountain to Skyline Queenstown.

What a ride! As you’re climbing up the mountain to Skyline Queenstown, there are times when it looks like you’re heading straight into the side of the mountain. Those of us with our backs to the mountain were treated to a gorgeous view of the lake and valley, but the ones facing the mountain had a couple of minor panic attacks.

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Friday Fotos – New Zealand fur seals hang out at Milford Sound

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New Zealand Fur Seals resting
This group of fur seals was just hanging out on the rocks. Not a bad job if you can get it!

Hanging out at Milford Sound with the seals

On the second half of our Milford Sound tour, the boat slowed for this family of New Zealand fur seals. These guys are HUGE. They seem to love the sun and warmth radiated by the rocks. Given that they spend hours each day looking for food, it’s no wonder they wanted a little time to ‘lay out.’ Did you know there’s a layer of fresh water that lies above the salt water in Milford Sound. The fresh water is a brisk 8 degrees Celsius, which translates to 46 degrees F. Once the seals get through that chilly top layer of fresh water, they hunt for food in a balmy 12 degrees C (56 – 58 F). 

Want to see more photos from our trip? Here’s a link where you can find all the entries in our travel journal.

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Friday Fotos – Milford Sound meets the Tasman Sea

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Milford Sound - the Tasman Sea just beyond
At this point in our journey of Milford Sound, we were nearing the Tasman Sea. The surface looked calm, but don’t let that fool you. It’s rough out there!

Milford Sound meets the Tasman Sea

The journey to this point had been slow and smooth. But once the Tasman Sea came into view, it’s influence and power became obvious. At first, our ferry boat just rolled a little. As we made our way out onto the open ocean, we found ourselves moving up, down, and sideways. On what was actually a calm day, the Tasman Sea gave us the barest hint of its power.

Want to see more photos from trip? Here’s a link where you can find all the entries in our travel journal.

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