What can I say….it’s Day 9 and my last day in Queenstown and New Zealand.  It has been a wonderful trip, one that I will always remember. This is a destination that I would definitely return to again and hopefully one day I will have the opportunity to visit its neighbor--Australia.  I don’t know how to explain it but there is just something special about this country that touched me, parts of it remind me of the U.S. and others remind me of countries in Europe.

We had breakfast at our hotel the Sofitel Queenstown, checked out of the hotel and departed for our last excursion before leaving for the airport. A few miles outside of Queenstown is the Shotover River and our last adventure in Queenstown was to ride the rapids on the Shotover Jet Boat.  The temperature was in the high 50’s, bright and sunny, so it was a great day to do the Jet Boat. The drivers provided us with long raincoats, hopefully to stay dry while as we ride the rapids, but there are no guarantees!!  We were told by our tour guides to bring a rain gear with a hood as extra protection.  We had already packed our bags and checked out of the hotel,  so most of the group (women) brought plastic shower caps from the hotel (yes I said shower caps)….they at least provided some protection and anything was better than getting our hair soaked from the water spray.  I have to say that we looked silly but fashionably outdoorsy with our shower caps, but they did help and I have the pictures to prove how cute we all looked!!!  This is an exhilarating ride so when you go flying down the river over the rapids---you are so close to the mountain ledges that you could actually reach out and touch them as you wind your way down the river.   The Shotover River is full of twists and turns so when you are racing down the river at high speeds and all of sudden do the 360 degree spins, you feel like you are going to fall out of the boat and into the cold water….talk about adventure---it is such a blast!   Yes, we did get wet, but we were lucky that the Sofitel Hotel decided to give us 2 rooms so that we could come back to the hotel, dry off and change clothes before we headed to the airport.  If you ever have the chance to do the Jet Boat excursion, go for it—it is one big THRILL and you will love it!  I give this ride a thumbs up on the rating scale.

I encourage everyone to visit New Zealand---it will be a trip to remember forever---it has everything from awe inspiring glaciers, beautiful lakes, mountains, farms, vineyards, thermal springs, stunning fjords, great fishing, boating, snow skiing and much, much more. I ask you---What is there not to like about New Zealand???  There are just not enough adjectives to describe this country---except that if you visit New Zealand, you will love it!  Call me and let me help plan your trip, and don’t forget to checkout the pictures on my Facebook page.  My trip is over and it was just too short, but I have some wonderful memories of New Zealand and the Kiwi’s!  As they say in New Zealand---- KIA ORA----hello and goodbye.  Thanks for coming along on my journey and I hope that you enjoyed the ride!  You can reach me Monday thru Friday from 9am to 5pm at 901-754-9300 or by email: Debbie@gulliverstravel.com. I can’t wait to hear from you!

I hope that everyone had a great Memorial Day, I took a vacation day and so I had a long weekend and it was great just being lazy and taking it easy.  My husband grilled on Sunday and then cooked a big Pork Shoulder on Memorial Day--you just gotta love a Man and his grill!   I hope that everyone put their Flag out and prayed for our military on this special holiday!  Well it’s Day 8 and our last full day to enjoy Queenstown. Today we had the option to take one of the 4 great sightseeing tours that you, as the client would be offered complimentary if you were taking this tour. Our choices: Safari of the Scenes Tour—based around several sites where the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy was filmed; Skipper’s Canyon, which is san exhilarating adventure by 4WD Land rover following the Shotover River Valley, offering a view of the cliffs and breathtaking river gorges (a miniature Grand Canyon); Wine Tour where you could visit several of the leading Queenstown vineyards and sample the different wines that are produced in Queenstown; or a Lakeshore Forest and Bird Walk—which is pretty self explanatory—where you will see some of New Zealand’s famous species of birds.   My choice for the tour….Skipper’s Canyon…(if my husband had been with me, we would have taken the Wine tour)! We started our tour with a light rain, just enough to make the road into Skipper’s Canyon—muddy and treacherous—the road is only about 7 feet wide and it is one lane only--- no two cars can pass except in the wider portions of the road, so when I say you literally hug the road or the mountain, that is exactly what I mean! One side of the road is a straight drop and the other side is the mountain, so guess which side we hugged as we motored thru the Canyon. We saw several spots (holes) where the road had washed out from previous rains, but we just hugged the mountains and got around the holes….scary but so, so beautiful. You just closed your eyes and prayed that the Driver was both competent and experienced! By the time that we had made it halfway thru the Canyon, the rain had stopped and a beautiful rainbow along with the sun had popped out, so it turned out to be a glorious drive. The Canyon was spectacular and the scenery alone was worth the tour. Our tour lasted about 3 hours and we had a great driver/guide…at the halfway point we stopped and had hot chocolate and cookies and had an opportunity to take some great pictures. When the tour as over and we arrived back at the hotel, we had the afternoon free to eat lunch, shop and have some Spa treatments….Can you guess what I did? 

For our last night in Queenstown, we took a ferry over to the Walter Peak High Country Farm for dinner and the Colonel’s Homestead Show. After dinner that evening, which was awesome---it was in a big beautiful old farmhouse with antiques and large dining rooms, we went outside to the barn and watched an old sheep Shearer do a great comedy routine as he SHEARED the sheep. He was quite the entertainer and sheared the wool off the sheep in 2 minutes! Later we watched as the sheep dog worked the sheep down from the hillside into the paddock. It was amazing to watch the dog round up the sheep in the dark. We had one last chance to shop and buy some special wool products before we boarded the ferry and went back to our hotel for the night. We had a late night meeting when we got back to the hotel, to get last minute instructions about our departure the next day. What we did not know is that our tour leaders were able to work a miracle and got us a reduced admission to the MINUS 5degrees—Ice Bar in Queenstown for a late night drink. If you have never been to one of the Ice Bars, (there are 2 or 3 in the U.S.) it is a very unique experience. The normal cover charge is $35 NZ and includes the admission and 1 alcoholic beverage. You are only allowed to stay 20 minutes due to the small size of the bar…and they provide you with a Heavy polar coat and gloves, since it is below zero temperature in the bar. Everything inside is ICE, the walls, the bar and even the glass that your drink comes in. It has all sorts of ice sculptures and colored lights…I had my picture taken on a horse…can you imagine! When you have 30 people it is very crowded, and because it is so cold, you keep moving around to try and stay warm. It’s a great photo op and because it is so unique it becomes a THE DESTINATION!    Don’t forget to checkout my New Zealand pictures on my Facebook page or Gulliver’s Travel Facebook page.   You will love New Zealand. Stay tuned for our last few hours in Queenstown and the special tour that we took before leaving for the airport on Day 9.

On Day 7 of our tour, after another early morning breakfast, we left the Edgewater Resort on Lake Wanaka and headed for Queenstown. We stopped in Cromwell, home to some great vineyards and fruit orchards. Did you know that Cromwell has the largest number of wineries and fruit orchards in New Zealand? The fruit is plentiful and you can tour some of the vineyards and sample the different types of white wines are produced in Cromwell.   We stopped and had lunch in a small town –Arrowtown, which is located halfway between Cromwell and Queenstown, has become a haven for weekenders who want to get away from the city and it is less than 1 hour from Queenstown.   Arrowtown was a former gold mining town and has become a living, historic holiday destination. It offers some spectacular scenery, tree lined streets, quaint homes, four distinct seasons that offers a tranquil atmosphere and has attracted visitors from all over the world.   There are some great boutiques for shopping, lots of arts and crafts and locally made wool products, lots of wonderful eateries, and some museums with the local history. It’s a great place to spend a leisurely afternoon or for a weekend retreat. After a delicious lunch of homemade breads, scrumptious meat pies and a dessert, we boarded the bus and made our way to Queenstown where we would spend the last 2 nights of our stay in New Zealand. 

Late that afternoon we took the ski gondolas up to Coronet Peak and for those in our group that wanted to do the Bungy jump or the swing jumps we were given complimentary jumps. Ten people in our group did the jumps and I must admit that I was not one of those people. I decided that with a bad back and not being a crazy dare devil that I would gladly forego this extreme threat to my life!!! Zip lining is one thing, bungy jumping is something all together different---I don't remember saying that I was CRAZY!!!  AJ Hackett Bungy Company provided all the jumps, t-shirts and photo/CD packets of the jumps for each person complimentary---this was an unbelievable gesture—since it would have cost each person about $500 for the entire jump experience!!  Later that evening we returned to the Skyline Restaurant at Coronet Peak for a Maori show and a Taste of New Zealand dinner, complete with beef, pork, seafood and lamb—and of course DESSERTS. The restaurant was at the top of the peak and offered a 220degree panorama view of Queenstown at night---what a beautiful sight!   After a long day, we snuggled under our down comforters and slept like babies.   We had one more night in Queenstown before leaving for home, so don’t you even think of not returning to my Blog for the next day’s activities!  Did I tell you that I love Queenstown!

Welcome back for Day 6 of my tour to New Zealand. It’s about 10am and the group has rejoined the motor coach after our overnight cruise on the Milford Sound.   We traveled back to the small township of Te Anau where are did a hotel inspection at the Distinction Hotels and Villas Te Anau and had a quick lunch. This hotel had just been upgraded to a deluxe hotel after extensive remodeling and is in a great location. The hotel looks out over Lake Te Anau and is perfect for boating, fishing and walking beside the lake. One of the great amenities that the hotel has to offer along with the great view is the new Glass Wedding Chapel where you can have a wedding. The entire Chapel is made of glass so while you are repeating your vows you can also enjoy the spectacular views of the lake…. it makes for great wedding photos!  The Chapel opened in late December and the hotel had already performed over 20 weddings, so you can imagine the demand for the chapel. They were hosting a wedding the afternoon that we were there, so we were able to see the ballroom where the bridal reception would be held, complete with the wedding cake and flowers. As we were departing Te Anau, we made one last swing through town and as we passed back by the Chapel, we saw the wedding party complete with the bride and groom. The sun was shining and the bride and groom along with all the guests turned and waved to us before they said “ I Do”. As I always say---Timing is everything!!  Our destination for this afternoon was Wanaka, home to striking mountains and deep alpine lakes, a place where the air is as clear as crystal. Time Life Magazine voted Wanaka one of the top 10 of the world’s most romantic destinations. Our group arrived about 6pm at our hotel, the Edgewater Resort on Lake Wanaka and I was lucky enough to get a room on the lake---my room was actually a suite with living and dining room, small kitchenette and separate bedroom. The great thing about the room was that it had a washer and dryer in the bathroom and about 1000 square feet!   We had about 1 hour to freshen up and then our group was wined and dined at our hotel. The meal was out of this world, so when we finally returned to our rooms, we were tired, but full and happy!  Wanaka is a great place for a weekend stay and if you love to go boating or fishing, this is your place.   You can get a fishing license and fish till you can’t fish any longer, so it is definitely a sportsman’s paradise.  Wanaka is a lovely town and a great place to visit while in New Zealand.   We are winding down to our last 3 days in New Zealand; so don’t forget to stay tuned! 

It’s Day 5 and it’s the half way mark of my trip. After an early breakfast at the hotel, our group boards the bus and we departed Mt. Cook and headed out across the South Island. We passed through small farming communities and the small towns of Omarama and Cromwell before reaching Te Anau—the gateway to the Fiordland National Park. Te Anau is a picturesque town on the shore of Lake Te Anau, which was formed by a large glacier and has several arms that penetrate into the mountainous-forested shores. After stopping for lunch in this cute little township, we headed for Milford Sound for our overnight cruise on the Milford Mariner. We cruised the full length of this spectacular fjord to the Tasman Sea and spent the night in the sheltered Harrison Cove. The Milford Mariner is the only ship that operates the overnight cruise and has 32 cabins that carries about 75 people including all the crew. We had a wonderful relaxing buffet dinner on board the Mariner and then retired for the night, it had been a long day but enjoyable. I met several couples from Australia who were vacationing for the first time in New Zealand and enjoyed sharing our experiences about our New Zealand adventures. The next morning we had breakfast on board the ship, cruised thru the Fjord so we could sail under the waterfalls, and said goodbye to our new Aussie friends before getting back on the bus. The rain was over and it was sunny and cold. The fjords and the scenery were awe-inspiring…so clear and deep, yet so quiet and still. I would have to say majestic is the best description that I could give for our time on the Milford Sound! When you go to New Zealand this is a MUST SEE!     Don’t forget to come back for Day 6!  Checkout my New Zealand pictures on the Gulliver's Travel Facebook page  or on my Facebook page.

It’s Day 4 starts after an early breakfast at the Crowne Plaza Christchurch, the group boards the bus for a long day of traveling.  We are traveling to Mt. Cook in the high country and it will take about 4-5 hours with some stops along the way.  It is a beautiful day, clear and cold as we depart Christchurch but by early afternoon it will change to rain.  The scenery is spectacular and majestic, the mountains are humbling, and even in the rain it is still beautiful.  After a few hours on the bus we reach Lake Tekapo and stop to view the tiny Church of the Good Shepherd—which was built from locally gathered stone and oak in tribute to the hard working early pioneers of the land.  It is a small church and will seat only about 50 to 75 people, but when you walk in you can feel the Holy Spirit as you sit and pray.  The church is on a small incline that overlooks Lake Tekapo and is beautiful in its simplicity and the location on the lake with all the trees surrounding the church and the lake, makes you feel like you are as close to God as you can get!  You feel humble to just be in his presence.  After we left the church, we stopped at a local restaurant on the lake, had lunch and of course, did some shopping before boarding the bus for our final destination---Mt. Cook and our hotel for the night.

Mt. Cook National Park is a World Heritage listed park and is home to the Hermitage Hotel—the most famous hotel in New Zealand, specifically for its location and the fantastic views of Mt. Cook.  The Hermitage Hotel is our home for the night and it houses the Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Center.  The Alpine Center is a special center which is dedicated to one of New Zealand’s most famous mountaineering pioneer---Sir Edmund Hillary who with his party climbed the south ridge of the glacier and later went on to become the first climber to reach the summit of Mt. Everest!  Mt. Cook is an awesome sight—assuming there’s no cloud in the way!  This is definitely a Photo op, so out come the cameras for some memorable photos.  In early December of 1991, a substantial piece of Mt. Cook’s east face (about 14 million cubic meters) fell away in a massive landslide.  Debris spewed out over the surrounding glaciers for 7.3 kilometers, carving a path down the Grand Plateau and Hochstetter Icefall and reaching as far as the Tasman Glacier!

 Our group was suppose to take a boat with experienced guide out to the face of the glacier, have an opportunity to get spectacular views of the surrounding mountains and take some great photos, but unfortunately the bottom fell out and the rain started in earnest, so we decided to forego this excursion.  Later that evening we had drinks and dinner at the award winning Panorama Restaurant and enjoyed the great view of Aoraki Mt. Cook.  It had been a long day and as it drew to a close, we headed for our rooms to rest up for Day 5 of our New Zealand adventure!  

Don’t forget to follow along with me on this special journey.  There are not enough adjectives to truly describe how special New Zealand is, so I hope you are enjoying your virtual trip.  Call me at 901-754-9300 when you are ready to visit New Zealand, I’ll be waiting for your call! 

It’s Day 3 of my New Zealand trip, and I am excited about what our group is going to do today.  We board the bus and depart from Rotorua to see a working sheep demonstration at the AGRODOME.  We learned that there is nineteen different breeds of sheep, saw a sheep-shearing demonstration, watched sheep being auctioned off and had the opportunity to hand milk a cow and watch the sheep dogs work the sheep.  The Shepherd-- who never talks to his sheepdogs, only communicates to the dogs by whistle commands.  It is amazing how fast the dogs can wrangle the sheep and herd them into the paddocks.  It was very entertaining and quite fun to watch.  Did you know that a good Shearer could shear up to 300 sheep in one day----that is less than 3 minutes per sheep!!!   The Shearer works very fast and doesn’t make but 2 or 3 different shaves…they start on the sheep’s belly and around the head, ears and then down the legs and finish with the top side of the sheep.  The dirty part of the wool—which is on the underside of the sheep, is used to make products that don’t require the best wools.  The fine top quality wool is used to make clothes and other top grade products.  When the Shearer has finished shearing, he has enough Lanolin oil from the wool that he could actually give someone a massage!!!!   Merino wool is the most expensive and the most popular type of wool.  After 2 hours and a little shopping at the AGRODOME (I bought the cutest little wool lambs and Kiwi beanie babies for my grandchildren), we stopped at the Heritage Hotel—a 4 star hotel in Rotarua for a hotel inspection.   After our tour, we had lunch, did some shopping, then we headed to the airport for our flight to Christchurch, which is located on the South Island. 

We arrived in Christchurch about 3:30pm (only about an hour flight), boarded a new bus with a new driver for our stay on the South Island, and toured Christchurch before going to our hotel.  Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island and is referred to as the “Garden City” due to its profusion of elegant English gardens and beautiful architecture.  Christchurch was founded in 1850 as a model Church of England settlement and has maintained its English flavor---in fact it is the most English city outside of England.  The city spreads across the Canterbury Plains and has a dramatic backdrop of the Southern Alps; it is a beautiful city that offers preserved Gothic architecture and is complemented by tree-lined avenues, colorful gardens and the meandering Avon River.  This English city is definitely a people city and it has all the authentic English pubs and great museums; everyone was out enjoying the boat rides down the canals, walking around the city and just enjoying the beautiful fall weather.  The South Island has cooler temperatures than on the North Island, so you really experience the four seasons---it was 55degrees when we arrived, after leaving 70degree weather in Rotorua.  I loved this city and would have enjoyed spending more time here, there is so much energy ---so clean and bright---and one of the things that I loved, was the colorful clay tile roof on the homes.  After our tour we arrived at our hotel—the Crowne Plaza Christchurch, which is located across from Victoria Square and beside the Avon River.  It is adjacent to the Christchurch Convention Hall, the Christchurch Casino and is just minutes from the central business district, so it was a perfect location and only about 5 minutes from great pubs, restaurants, museums and shopping!  We had cocktails and an awesome dinner at The Yamagen –a Japanese restaurant at our hotel, and that ended another full day in New Zealand.  Tune in for Day 4 and more about my great trip to New Zealand!  Don’t forget to checkout my pictures!