Doubtful Sound

Monday, 17 November

This morning we said good-bye to Fiona and Peter. Peter and Fiona, if you're reading this: THANK YOU! I so loved spending time with you both and had a ton of fun with you. You guys are awesome -  I hope to see you someday soon in Cambodia ;)

Fiona dropped us off at the bus station, and we were picked up soon after by the Real Journeys bus - the company that would take us to Fiordland. Below you can see Fiordland National Park highlighted in dark blue. The area is remote, rugged and largely untouched. The only road that goes through is highlighted in red.

Passed lots of sheep and cows on the way.

The bus took us straight to Manapouri, where we boarded a smaller boat to cross Lake Manapouri - took just over an hour. It was pretty cold and windy!

The boat took us to another bus, and we crossed the most expensive road in New Zealand. I think they said it costs $1 per cm... and a lot to maintain as it's so far from anything and is pretty much just used to bring tourists to Doubtful Sound. There's a hydroelectric dam built nearby and the road was originally built to help transport materials to build that.

View of Doubtful Sound from above.

Once there, we boarded our boat, which we stayed on over night. The weather was a bit rainy at first, but cleared up quite well (as much as we could as for in a place that gets rain 200/360 days a year!) and could see the massive glacial-formed mountains, gorges, cliffs and waterfalls all around us.

Saw lots of seals, a couple penguins, and even a few dolphins!

Did a bit of leisurely kayaking and then took a jump into the freezing cold water. Felt my breath leave me for a second!

Warmed up with some hot soup and a very nice buffet dinner. I think the very sweet, modest Japanese couple across the table from me were wondering how I could fit all that food into one little body... haha. Guess my metabolism is running as though I'm still biking! ;)

Tuesday, 18 November

Woke up to this!

Towards the end of the morning, the skipper stopped the boat at the end of one of the "arms" that extend off of the  main fiord. He asked that everyone go outside to the deck, turn of their cameras and phones, and refrain from walking. He then turned off the boat, and for a full 5 minutes we all looked around us in silence. This was an incredible experience and remains a special memory. It was a privilege to stand there in utter awe of the beauty around me and thank God for yet another gift my eyes can't soak in enough of and my mind can't fully comprehend.

One of the crew members took a bucket up to the front of the boat as the boat went in to a waterfall pouring over a cliff and he filled up the bucket with fresh mountain water. It was clean and cold and tasted fresh!

Beautifully stunning part of New Zealand!

In the afternoon we were bussed to the nearest town, Te Anau, where we stayed the night before our trip to Milford Sound Wednesday.

Day in Queenstown

Sunday, 16 November

The weather today was absolutely perfect. A bit windy, but it was sunny, blue skies, and out of the wind perfectly warm. 

Peter let me drive his car into Queenstown with my dad (he said if I can drive in Cambodia than I can drive anywhere) ;) I did all of the important things right (i.e. staying on the left side of the road!), but managed to turn the windshield wipers on every time I meant to turn the blinker on. My dad counted... wipers: 15, blinker: 8. 

First thing we did in town was to take the gondola up the mountain for the views. With such weather it was an incredible view!

Lake Wakatipu behind us. The Remarkables to the left, and Cecil Peak and Walter Peak there to the right.

Cecil and Walter Peaks below.

Queenstown.

We walked to town and around the lake front area, then found a place to eat lunch outside. 

I think we sat and talked for more than 2 hours there - then walked around, got coffees, and sat and talked another hour or two. So much to catch up on :)

Back in Arrowtown in the evening we went to town with Peter and Fiona and enjoyed tapas together at a very nice Spanish restaurant. Fun company and cute old town!

Dad arrives!

Saturday, 15 November

This morning Peter and I drove in to Queenstown to pick up some groceries, ride around town for a brief scenic tour, and stop at the local outdoor market before heading to the airport to pick up my dad. 

Peter often works as a tour guide as groups come through the area - he's full of interesting info about the region. Let's see if I can remember some of the things he said... Lake Wakatipu (the lake in the pics below that Queenstown sits on) is 80km long and 380 meters deep. The bottom of the lake itself actually goes below sea level, so this gives it a small natural tide.

Below is a pic of the vacation home that Peter and Fiona's rent out. It's got 6 or 7(?) bedrooms and, as you can see, a great view. Friends, perhaps we rent this out for a week or two during next year's summer? ;) 

The Remarkables Park market with the Remarkables Mountains in the background. I think that is the coolest name for a range of mountains.

Just after noon we picked up my dad from the airport - great to see him!! The three of us went for lunch at the Boat Shed Cafe. Peter was in the restaurant business for years and I can confirm that he has very good taste in both food and restaurant atmosphere: the restaurant was in an old boat shed (go figure) right on the lake, and the clam chowder was perfect.

Me and my dad :)

After lunch went back to Arrowtown, then decided to visit a winery in Gibbston Valley since it was raining. Peter took us to Brennan Wines and we had more samples in one visit there than I've ever had elsewhere! I'd say it helped that Peter new the guy working :) Best wine here: the 2010 Pinot Noir, hands down.

Just after tasting wine, we stopped at Peter and Fiona's new property - just down the road from Brennan and Gibbston Valley Wineries and several others. Beautiful site surrounded by grapevines and mountains!!

Back home in Arrowtown the weather had cleared so we went for a short hike up the track by Peter and Fiona's house. Beautiful views!

Peter made us an incredible dinner and the most amazing carrot cake to follow it. SO blessed to be able to stay with them for these few days - such generous and fun people!!

Cromwell to Arrowtown

Friday, 14 November

I had such a lovely day today - one of my favorites on the road!

Began with breakfast at the backpackers and then headed to Old Cromwell - a small section of Cromwell that has been restored from the old mining days in the 1800's. Many of the building have been relocated or rebuilt near their original location (which is now covered by the river). What exists today is a little dirt pedestrian-only road of perhaps 12 quaint little shops selling an array of mostly locally-made artisan goods - art, coffee and pastries, soaps, etc.

I parked my bike and wandered around for the morning, which was sunny and not freezing!

I loved the watercolor paintings in one of the galleries. As I was considering making my first investment in what I will call "wall art" (my walls are and have always been completely bare...), and deciding which painting(s) to buy, the artist herself walked in the gallery (with her four dogs). She travels around NZ in her camper van and paints scenes with a palate of earthy colors as she remembers them. The paintings are not of specific places, but what I love about them is that they remind ME of places where I biked that have been impressed in my mind. Now I get to see them daily on my walls and share them with friends. :)

After the art gallery, I walked next door to the cafe for a cup of coffee. I sat outside at the table and enjoyed chatting with a woman from Christchurch area (who is a professional bird photographer -  that's her standing in the picture below photographing a bird).

Around 11:30 I got on the bike and took a trail along the river out of town as recommended to me by a shop owner. It was so beautiful (albeit, meant for mountain bikes without panniers in most cases...!) and a nice way to avoid the highway for a few extra kilometers.

Back on the highway I rode through the Kawarau Gorge, through which the turquoise blue Kawarau River runs.

Not long after I left town and ate lunch, I came across Wild Earth winery and it seemed like a nice place to stop for a little wine tasting (and it was).

Later in the day I passed through the Gibbston Valley - an area known for it's Pinot Noir (more than 70% of the grapes grown here are Pinot Noir). Fun fact - it's latitude is 45 degrees south which makes it the southernmost place in the world where grapes are grown to make wine! Central Otago, not Chile or Argentina!

At Gibbston Valley I came across a cheesery, which made a perfect mid-afternoon snack stop. Now THIS is my kind of bike touring. ;)

After leaving the cheesery the wind looked strong and the sky looked gray enough to rain, but the weather held out, the wind was really not bad at all, and the air temp was comfortable. From Gibbston Valley to Arrowtown the ride was really really nice - I rode along the Queenstown track the whole way, over a couple bridges, past the original bungy jumping site, and along the beautiful gorge. 

I arrived in Arrowtown to the home of Fiona and Peter, good family friends of Julie's family. Julie's mom, Alison (who is so amazing and has been looking after me with text messages and check-in emails from Rangiora since I started weeks ago!! - THANK YOU Alison!!) connected me with them and they so graciously offered to let me stay with them. They've been incredible. Really, such fun, interesting and generous people - I've so enjoyed spending time with them and learning about all the amazing things they have been/are doing.  I feel very blessed and very taken care of! :)