New Zealand bound

Tomorrow we head off to New Zealand for three weeks of touring the North, South and Bay of Islands. There are four of us traveling by plane, train, car, helicopter and boat. "Us" are Carl and Polly Defaria and Lee and Sally Shobe. We arranged this trip through Jane Turner at Active Downunder Travel. Her tag line is Discover New Zealand The Active Way so we are taking all forms of transportation and recreation. We fly directly to Queenstown where will base for four days including two nights on the Fiordland Navigator exploring Doubtful Sound by boat and kayak. We will then move on to Fox Glacier for a little glacier hiking and butt sledding. By then it will be Christmas Eve so we are moving on to Arthurs Pass to stay at a sheep shearing station for a couple of days with the Shepard to see if" it came upon the midnight clear". Also more hiking and exploration of the New Zealand mountains. From there we catch the Traz Alpine Express Train to Christchurch for another couple of days exploring the Akaroa Harbour, Canterbury Plains and Akaroa Crater. We are promised sights of Hectors Dolphins, NZ Furseals and penguins. Apparently the Kiwi's are on Holiday.

Our next leg is via the Tranz Coastal train to Blenheim where the highlights are a Greenshell Mussel cruise on Marlborough Sound followed by day tours of the Marlborough wine country. We are staying at Maison Grange known locally as "the barn" located on a ten acre "Pinot Noir vinyard.

Ok that does it for the South Island so now (Dec 30) we are flying off to Rotorua for a dip into the Maori history and culture plus a helicopter tour over to White Island and a hike around an active crater volcano crater lake. That will cover our steam sauna needs. We will no doubt greet the New Year with a Maori ancient cocktail brew...or Scotch if they've run out. Those of you at home will only be thinking of what you might wear for New Years Eve since we are a day ahead.

On New Years Day we again step on Air New Zealand for a trip up to Kerikeri for more Maori culture...this is where the Maoris signed the Treaty of Waitangi with the Europeans to create New Zealand. Much like Hawaiians, not all native Maoris today are convinced it was worthwhile.

After a couple of days here it is back to Auckland to collect ourselves and prepare for the 13 hour snooze flight back to LAX via Air New Zealand.

If you care to hear how this all plays out check in for a daily (more or less) update.