Auckland

Yesterday was a travel day. Overnight there was no snow in our area, but we could see some light dusting in the upper elevations. We drove over two hours from Te Anau to Queenstown, where we dropped off the rental car and later flew to Auckland to begin our exploration of the North Island. At least the area around Auckland, at any rate. It was dark by the time we reached our apartment, so I'm not sure what the neighborhood looks like.

Last night we walked a few blocks to a steakhouse for dinner. It was fun because you pick out your piece of meat, and talk to the chef about how you want it prepared. Then it is brought to your table. It was so good! Today we will get out and look around.

Te Anau

Today we stuck close to town as we had an excursion planned in the afternoon. We took a nice walk along Lake Te Anau, which is the second largest lake in New Zealand.

After lunch we walked the short distance to our excursion location. We took a catamaran type of enclosed boat across Lake Te Anau to the Te Anau Glowworm Caves. A beautiful rainbow appeared along the way.

Once at the cave, we got a brief orientation about the glowworms, which are really maggots with glowing intestines. Then in small groups of 12 we were led first on a walking tour of the cave. Then we boarded a small boat to cruise further into the cave to see the worms. No photography is allowed as the light disturbs the worms, so I don't have any pictures to share. The best way to describe the experience is to say that it was like looking up into a night sky and seeing a bunch of twinkling stars. It was quite interesting.

By the time we we were walking back to the boat, the rain that had been forecast finally arrived, along with super-strong winds. They are predicting snow for tomorrow, hopefully only at the higher elevations. We leave here tomorrow anyway, driving back to Queenstown where we will catch an afternoon flight to Auckland. North Island, here we come!

Queenstown

Yesterday we had breakfast at the motel before loading up the car and making our way to the Skyline Queenstown, the steepest cable car lift in the Southern Hemisphere. It travels 450 meters above Queenstown and Lake Wakatipu to the top of Bobs Peak. What views from the top! Once up there you can choose to bungee jump, parasail, or ride the luge. Paul decided to parasail, and the rest of us cheered him on. They took him in a different direction than what they told us, so I don't have any pictures of him except on the chairlift. The other photos below are of other people.

We explored the town a bit after we rode the cable car back down. The fall colors are really pretty here. We will get to experience fall twice in 2017!

Back in the car, we drove for a bit before finding a place for a late lunch. Then we continued our southerly drive before heading west to Te Anau. The scenery was constantly changing, and while we no longer had the water views it was nevertheless quite something to see.

Our motel has a lovely view of the lake, which carries the same name as the town. After checking in, we walked to town and picked up some groceries as we will be here for three nights total. Today we are taking a tour bus to Milford Sound, where we will then get on a boat to cruise  the fiords. This excursion is one of the highlights on our trip, and the weather forecast is not too good. They say it is spectacular even in the rain because of the waterfalls, so we are hoping for the best!