| |
|
Just a small sample ...... |
    |
|
Beautiful gardens are difficult to avoid - these Rhododendron gardens are
near Lake Taupo, Central North Island but could just as easily be in
Christchurch "Garden City of the World" or Dunedin in
the lower South Island or many other locations both private and public. |
    |
| A
little south of
Lake Taupo are the Central North Island Volcanoes within Tongariro National
Park. The impressive example of "modern" Maori artwork above is a
feature of the Museum Of New Zealand, known as "Te Papa" one of the leading
attractions of our Capital City, Wellington at the bottom of the North
Island. |
    |
|
Whale watching is available all year round from Kaikoura (north-eastern
coast of the South Island); dolphin viewing also from Kaikoura and various
other North and South Island locations from the Bay Of Islands to Akaroa
(near Christchurch). A little more laid-back on the river Avon Christchurch
"Punting on the Avon" is a logical leisure activity in this most English
City outside of England |
    |
|
Kaitangata a vintage steam train takes you through dense rain-forest at
"Shantytown" near Greymouth on the West Coast of the South Island - where
crowded beaches are seldom a problem! |
    |
|
Scenic helicopter flights from Franz Josef or Fox Glacier townships (West
Coast, South Island) or Mount Cook Village on the eastern side of the
Southern Alps offer the quickest and easiest way of appreciating the scale
of the high mountains, enormous ice fields and glaciers of the Southern
Alps. Precious stones and metals are a feature also of the West Coast; "Pounamu"
locally known as Greenstone is very high quality Nephrite Jade from the
rivers, mountains and beaches of Westland. West Coast gold is of
exceptionally high quality, requires a lot of perseverance or a lot of luck
- but is readily available from local artisans especially in Hokitika
between Greymouth and Franz Josef Glacier. |
    |
|
Sheep out-number people by at least 10:1 in New Zealand - sheep farming is
still an important aspect of a very diversified farming economy including
dairy farming, cattle farming, deer farming, horticulture and viticulture
(grapes/wine growing). |
    |
|
March 1903 Richard Pearse took off in his prototype aircraft from Waitohi,
South Canterbury and a little over half a century later, also in the same
region, Bill Hamilton pioneered a revolutionary jet propulsion system for
water-craft now known the world over as the "Hamilton Jet" the jet
propulsion system system which powers speed-boats through incredibly shallow
water with great manoeuvrability as put to test by the "Shotover Jet" on the
Shotover River near Queenstown. Sir Edmund Hillary along with Sherpa Tensing
climbed Mount Everest in 1953; many years earlier Physicist, Lord Earnest
Rutherford split the atom and in more recent years A J Hackett and Henry Van
Ash from Queenstown contributed "Bungy" jumping to the world of dare-devil
adventure; some little known others more famous - all New Zealanders from
this small South Pacific nation with a total population little more than the
population of an average city in Europe or North America (around 4 million). |
    |
|
Queenstown is known as "Adventure
Capital Of the World" and apart from stunning scenery offers a tremendous
range of adventure activities for venture seekers young and old from jet
boating to bungy jumping, paragliding, white water rafting, sky-diving and
much more. The "Remarkables" mountain range provide a truly remarkable
backdrop to all these activities. |
    |
|
From Queenstown it's just 45 minutes cruise each way across Lake Wakatipu on
the vintage steamship TSS Earnslaw to Walter Peak farm for a New Zealand
high country farm experience. The steamship TSS Earnslaw has been operating
continuously on Lake Wakatipu since 1912 initially as a means of transport
(before roads) between farms and settlements around the Lake Wakatipu from
the railhead at Kingston at the southern end to Glenorchy at the northern
end of New Zealand's longest lake - also at 300 metres plus (over 1,000
feet) one of the deepest lakes in New Zealand. |
    |
|
The vintage steam train "Kingston Flyer" no longer connects with the
steamship TSS Earnslaw but offers a tourist excursion as an alternative to
our usual road transport between Queenstown and Te Anau enroute to
Fiordland. |
    |
|
Not a great photo but the best we've got of a Royal Albatross at the World's
only mainland breeding colony near the City of Dunedin en route to Penguin
Place on the Otago Peninsula where we frequently visit the Yellow-Eyed
Penguin colony. Depending on the season and breeding cycle you may get to
see the giant Royal Albatross in flight at close range (wing span 3 metres
or around 10 feet) and also the penguins at close range from concealed
viewing hides. From Dunedin City you might also take the Taieri Gorge scenic
railway for a day excursion inland. |
    |
|
Kayaking is available at many locations North and South Islands, river, lake
and sea - flat water and white water. Most of these shots are in Fiordland
off the Fiordland Navigator overnight cruise vessel - an optional feature of
many of our tours of the Lower and Southern South Island |
    |
| |
|
Frequently toward the end of a tour of the Lower South Island the final
night before Christchurch is at a farm or homestay in the Mid Canterbury
foothills between Mt. Somers and Mt. Hutt, near Methven. Less than two hours
from Christchurch International airport this locality is also a relaxing and
scenically beautiful stopover on-arrival or before departure. |
    |
| In
addition to hosted accommodation Warren & Marita operate
Tussock & Beech Ecotours
from Staveley, specializing
in nature tours and guided walks in the Southern Alps of Canterbury
- which includes hiking, birdwatching,
alpine plants, Lord of the Rings,
photography retracing
the Hobbits footsteps on Mt Sunday, site of Edoras and Helms Deep in the
Lord of the Rings movies. |
    |
| |
| |
