When the earthquake in 2011 devastated the center part of Christchurch one of the first things people did was try to keep the downtown core alive. Hence the cargo container village that was thrown up quickly in the heart of downtown. Numerous cargo containers were brought in and converted to stores , restaurants and even banks. Now it’s a fun place to grab a lunch or a souvenir and it shows no sign of disappearing even as the city is rebuilt. People are so resilient

It’s my last full day in NZ for awhile though I know I’ll be back. Something here really struck a chord with me and I need more time to explore it. So today I’m just walking through Christchurch and the botanical gardens and enjoying the last day of pure New Zealand I still have a few more NZ posts especially of my glacier helicopter hike so don’t think you can stop reading now lol

My fishing guide turned me on to Wanaka. Apparently it’s what QT was before all the tourists and outdoor enthusiasts arrived and drove prices up. Well, I still like the buzz of QT but this is a nice place and definitely a place to check out when I return. Hard to beat the location. Situated on the road to the West Coast a good place to hang out a few days Besides they have that cool dinosaur playground which reminds me of mission valley circa 1960.

Tea or Coffee or Champagne

I arrived a bit early in TeAnau and took a walk along the lakefront.

Lake Te Anau is the second largest lake in New Zealand and of course is gorgeous lol

I cane across this old steamer/sail boat just as it was ready to set sail on a trip across the lake so I jumped on. The Diana was built in the UK in the 30s and supposedly Winston Churchill cruises on her several times . She had a role in helping sailors evacuate from Dunkirk but eventually made her way to New York and then to the South Pacific. Her current owners found her in Fiji and brought her here via the Pacific and then on a big truck to her home here on Lake Te Anau.

I love the mix of informal and formal here. Everyone wears shirts and outdoor gear except when they don’t. On the Diana they wear uniforms and serve high tea ! Beautiful sunny day across the lake and short walk through the beech forests then back on board for afternoon tea or champagne and then home.

Excellent afternoon

I’m not really a very dedicated fisherman. I used to go a lot when I was younger but in last years I never really had much focus on it and to honest living in San Francisco Philadelphia and London over the past 25 years hadn’t made it easier. Now that I’m living in NC I’m starting to get back into it and I’m especially interested in honing my fly fishing skills.  On last few vacations I’ve gone but it’s such a science so I hired a day long guide Matt and off we went 

The water here is crystal clear so you can actually choose the fish your after After about an hour I seemed to have mastered the cast but I struggled with setting the hook. Had several strikes in the am but they seemed to spit out my hook with ease . Things slowed down in the afternoon and even Matt couldn’t get one. However it didn’t really matter as it was beautiful and tranquil the day was great despite coming home empty handed. Someone asked me if the guide had caught a fish would I have taken a picture like I had caught it …..of course ! 

Last day in QT. I really loved it here. Time to move on Franz Josef here I come 

Not much to say. When I think of the places that really astounded me I think of western Norway, Torres Del Paine in Chile, Angkor Wat in Cambodia and Easter Island. Now I add Doubtful Sound to that list.   Enjoy the pictures and know it’s even more astounding in person . You have to add this to your bucket list. I’m coming again so let’s all head there together cause sharing it with friends even more amazing 

Doubtful Sound Continued 

This includes the pictures of the Seals and the Pod of Bottlenose Porpoises . I just can’t articulate how stunning it is and how wild as you head for the Tasman sea 

Top of the Lake Did you see this creepy drama series a few years past? It started Elizabeth Moss and Holly Hunter and was directed by Jane Campion It was filmed north of Queenstown in an area that used to be called Top of the Lake but now is referred to as Glenorchy. The show was great but the scenery is amazing too  

Queenstown Is this the coolest town in New Zealand ? It’s certainly the most outdoor crazy place I’ve ever been 

Today I took a two mile hike from the top of the mountain overlooking the town. Rode mountain wheel luges and took a jet boat up the Shotover river ..but I’m a whimp compared to others

Here in queenstown you can 

Parasail

Paraglide

Bungee Jump

Bungee Swing 

Mountain bike on over 600 miles of specific trails

Hike on over 2000 miles of trails and byways 

Jetboat

Jet ski

Lake cruise

Swim 

Ski

Snowboard 

Etc etc etc 

There’s a lot to do here ..oh did I mention the great restaurants and shopping and of course those views 

Finally I love that the 150 year old cemetery is adjacent to the mini golf ! 

Oh. So, they have a Gondola in Queenstown! So , of course I was on it first thing this am . Incredible views across Lake Wakatipu and up to Glenorchy which you might recognize from the TV show “Top of the Lake”that was filmed here .

Got to the top for my requisite coffee and muffin and discovered they have wheel luges. 

Wheel luges are sort of like go carts that operate on gravity and tear down a track just like an ice luge. Of course I had to go on that …7 Times ! I got very competitive and had to show the 11 year old driving next to me who was the king of the track… losing is a part of life kid . 

Afterwards I hiked down the hill. Okay I know I’ve told you how steep the hike was down from Christchurch but this was even steeper. I seriously thought I would tumble down the hill. But I made it down unscathed and celebrated with an excellent small rack of lamb and a Pinot! Priceless. Of course there are photos of it all . I love Queenstown! 

No one just rides the bus 🚌 One thing I love here is the way they really push your activity level. If you book a trip on the glacial lake exploration boat you also end up taking a nice mile long walk to get there. If they take you stargazing they walk you through the forest in the night to acclimate you to the darkness. It’s not about getting as many people through the activity but about getting you through it in context. I love it. though I’m not sure the 83 year old woman and her daughter who were the only other people on the glacial lake trip were so crazy about the mile walk each way but hey they made it lol . The grey thing that looks like a dirty wall in the pictures is actually the face of the Tasman Glacier the longest Glacier in NZ. In the past 18 years it’s retreated faster than it has in the last 200 but hey I’m sure Trump is right about global warming. 

The stargazers trip was also incredible . All bundled up they took us out into the middle of nowhere and set up huge telescopes to view the skies. I looked at Saturn and it actually looked like Saturn in a book. All the rings were there lol. We tracked constellations and saw numerous shooting stars . It was an awesome evening in Mt Cook