View of views

Since it's winter here in NZ, we haven't had to pre-book anything (tours, reservations for dinner, etc) - but that strategy failed on us this morning when we were shut out of the tour we wanted to take hiking onto Fox Glacier.  Instead, we headed out to Lake Matheson for what is promised as the "view of views" of all of New Zealand.  Thanks to amazing blue skies and clear weather, that promise did not disappoint.  We not only enjoyed stunning vistas of Mt. Cook and Mt. Tasman (and their reflection in the lake) but also got a unexpectedly interesting 90 minute walk through a temperate rain forest.  Two thumbs way up.

We then headed to Fox Glacier and did our own walk to the terminal face (no walking ON the glacier itself without a guide, but we could get pretty close).  The glacier itself was pretty cool but having seen so many larger and more impressive ones in Alaska, it was slightly underwhelming.  If we'd sprung for the $400 pp heli-hike option where we'd get dropped at the top of the glacier and hiked for a few hours, it may have been more impressive, but we couldn't justify the $1200 cost for the three of us.  Maybe next time...

Ultimately, we were happy with how the day at the glaciers turned out, despite the initial disappointment of missing out on the tour.

The rest of the day was spent driving from Fox Glacier down the West Coast to Wanaka, over the Haast pass.  Our great weather continued to follow us, and we were rewarded with absolutely amazing views the entire way.  It seemed like every time we turned a corner, another vista appeared that took our breath away.  At one point Erin got mad at New Zealand for being so beautiful - it just isn't fair.  Hee hee.

8/13/13 update: photos added!

Driving fun!

We knew today would be our biggest driving day of the trip, heading from the northeast part of the South Island (Blenheim) to the southwest coast (Franz Josef glacier).  Luckily, the drive went smoothly, crossing the Southern Alps was a piece of cake (followed a canyon through them), and the scenery was spectacular throughout.  I only got a tiny bit car sick along the windy coastal roads (a nap got me through the worst of it).

The area from Blenheim to the Southern Alps was a gorgeous valley, full of vineyards, sheep and cows, surrounded by beautiful mountains.  We had mostly sunny weather, and then when some rain was falling in the distance, we came across the most perfect rainbow - complete with a kiwi crossing sign (the only kiwi crossing sign we've seen the entire trip, mind you).  New Zealand continues to impress with its scenery - and it's amazing timing with things like rainbows.

The Buller Gorge through the Alps was lush and scenic, with us following the Buller River from a small braided river to a roaring beast as it neared the Tasman Sea.  Then the West Coast, with its fierce waves, rock formations, and amazing cliffs did not disappoint.  The highlight of the West Coast scenery was stopping at Pancake Rocks and Blowholes (hee hee - blowholes), which photos can just capture a small part of the uniqueness of these rocks and the fury of the sea as it crashed ashore.

We rewarded ourselves when we finally arrived at Franz Josef Glacier with a nice soak in their Glacier Hot Pools.  Not quite as natural as the hot springs in Rotorua but still a nice way to spend an hour or so after a long drive.  Franz Josef village itself is 2 blocks long by 1 block deep, so it's a small little town whose express purpose is to support visitors to the nearby glacier.  We found ourselves a nice pizza joint in town with Friday night specials, added a bottle of Pinot Noir, and settled in for the night at our motel (side note: NZ is teeming with motels; they have not gone out of fashion here, though backpackers, hotels, and "holiday parks" (RV parks) are also plentiful).

(we're quite limited in our internet here at this motel in Wanaka where I'm catching up on a few days of blog posts, so I'll have to go back and add more pics later - sorry!)

8/13/13: photos added - thanks free wifi!

Marlborough Wine Region

Fear not, loyal readers: we made sure that Shawna fit in one last New Zealand wine tasting before she left today (for a previously scheduled vacation back in the US).  We had to try 3 different wineries before finding one that was open, thanks to winter hours, but we got Shawna a few last sips of Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir, and then sent her on her way back to New Jersey.  Thanks to the international date line, she'll arrive home the same day she leaves despite traveling for more than 24 hours.  Craziness.

Beth, Erin and I then spent the rest of the afternoon sipping our way around the Marlborough area, enjoying their "cellar door" hospitality while tasting mostly Sauv. Blanc, Pinot Noirs, Riesling and a few other crazier grapes thrown in (tempranillo anyone?).  Have I mentioned I love vacationing in wine country?  Even better, here in Marlborough, most wineries don't charge for their tasting (in Martinborough it was $5pp).  Sweet.

Wine regions are generally also known for their tasty food, and that was no exception here in Marlborough.  Enjoyed a delicious lunch at Rock Ferry Winery, and tonight came across a Brazilian restaurant in town that got us all excited about our potential trip to Brazil for the World Cup next year.  So, so tasty.  So, so full.

Whale of a tale

"Ideal sea conditions" were the words greeting us on the status board as we walked into Kaikoura Whale Watching.  The Kiwi at the desk noted that they rarely got to use that determination, so we were a lucky cruise. 

Our whale watching adventure's goal was to find the largest of all toothy whales: the sperm whale (the blue whale is much larger but doesn't have teeth and feeds on krill, whereas the sperm whale feeds on fish and sharks - including Great White Sharks).  Kaikoura is blessed with a large canyon just off its coast where male sperm whales like to hang out.  Because they're deep divers, they need very deep water to survive (most of their prey is in the lower levels of the ocean).  We only had to go about 10-15 minutes from the harbor to reach the "whale zone," and to get our first small sighting of a whale's tale (we found that particular whale just as he was diving down).

Since sperm whales usually take 30-40 minutes between each dive, we spent much of the cruise in a waiting mode, knowing there was a whale nearby but not knowing when it would surface.  When it finally surfaced though, what a beautiful and stunning sight.  This particular whale has been hanging out in the Kaikoura area for about 20 years, so they crew knew him well.  He was about a meter longer than our boat and spent about 10 minutes up on the surface breathing in the fresh air before diving down for more feeding time again.

Having previously seen humpback whales off Cape Cod, sperm whales by comparison are larger but less "playful" on the surface.  The humpbacks eat at the surface, so they spend a lot of time breaching, slapping their fins on the surface and coming up with food in their mouths.  The sperm whale spends its time at the surface breathing, digesting, and preparing to dive again.  Very different experiences, but both very worthwhile.

In addition to seeing the sperm whales, the cruise gave us the opportunity to enjoy some absolutely heart-stopping scenery along the Kaikoura coast.  Certainly wasn't a bad place to hang out and wait for the whales to need some fresh air. 

Yes, that's Erin next to a seal

Finished our day in Kaikoura with a hike along the Peninsula Walkway, up on the cliffs, overlooking a seal colony and (bizarrely) walking through cow and sheep pastures.  Around every bend was another viewpoint that made us stop to appreciate it (and break out the camera, of course).

Two thumbs up to our sojourn in Kaikoura.  We now will head back north along the stunning coast to wine country, where we'll say a sad goodbye to Shawna (she needs to head home for another previously scheduled vacation) and drown our sorrows in excellent NZ Sauvignon Blancs and Pinot Noirs.

Groper? I hardly know her...

View from our balcony this morning

It's alright, i guess, if you go for this sort of thing...

Gorgeous Day

Today was mostly a travel day, with us crossing the Cook Strait via ferry and then driving down to Kaikoura via Marlborough wine country and then a stunning coastal highway.  And before you ask, of course we stopped at a winery en route for some tasting.  We'll be heading back for more after our whale watching adventure in Kaikoura.

I'll let the photos tell our story of the day, other than to mention that we had a blessedly clear day to cross the Cook Strait, which meant not only gorgeous scenery but a smooth ride (it's a notoriously treacherous crossing in choppy conditions).  It was very reminiscent of our Alaska cruise, except with lambs and seals.

Waiting for the ferry in Wellington

Leaving the North Island

Arriving via Marlborough Straits to the South Island

Marlborough Straits

Oh, hello there, cute baby lamb

East Coast drive to Kaikoura

We could see these mountains from the ferry - wow!

Sunset along the Kaikoura coast - stunning