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!

Glad you could join me for Day 2 of my New Zealand tour.  After a great buffet breakfast that was included in the room rate, we get back on the bus and start Day 2 bright and early.  Before I go on, I have to tell you about the breakfast buffet…. it had all the American breakfast items, but the New Zealanders do a few things differently.  One, the bacon is sautéed, so it is not crisp; the sausage links are not like we eat in the U.S. but more like the bangers that you get in England; and you have a lot more fruits, but the thing that I found a little different, is that they have roasted new potatoes, broiled tomatoes, sautéed mushrooms and baked beans with every meal----breakfast, lunch and dinner!  What can I say, it’s a complete meal from beginning to end---you certainly will not starve and the croissants are heavenly—that’s my favorite!

We are on the bus and driving south through the land of Waikato Province to Waitomo and are going to tour the Waitomo Caves, home of the tiny GLOW WORMS.  We have a tour guide that gives us a guided tour of the underground limestone caverns, including the magnificent “Cathedral” cave…. it was so cool, you could almost see the Pipe Organ and the pulpit where the clergy would stand…. it was like standing on holy ground!  Next we took a silent boat ride and glided through as mystical grotto lit by thousands of tiny glow worms.  It really was something to see…. it reminded me of lying on the ground at night when I was a child and looking up at the night sky and seeing all the twinkling stars.   Thousands of little stars—unbelievable and so beautiful!   Note to remember, wear some good walking shoes and carry a jacket when you tour the caves because it is cool and very dark in the caves!  You are not allowed to use your cameras in the caves ---why---because the flash on your cameras would disturb the glow worms, so the Guide uses a big flashlight that he or she shines on the floor of the cave to guide you through...its all about preserving the life of the glow worms!  Once we finished the tour of the caves, we hopped back on the bus and headed further south to Rotorua---New Zealand’s thermal wonderland.  We stopped and had lunch, made the usual bathroom stops and rolled into Rotorua about 2pm.

Rotorua is a rare mystical place and is home to some of the world’s most incredible earthly forces.  From the moment you enter Rotorua you know that you are somewhere special---you’ll discover steaming geysers and bubbling mud pools amid crystal clears lakes and streams.  The Maori culture is as diverse as the natural wonders your senses will experience, with a rich sense of history as well as the promise of fun and adventure.  We saw the Te Puia Thermal Reserve—which is a thermal wonderland some 40,000 years old, and we watched the bubbling Mud pools, hissing steam and geysers that pay tribute to the presence of Mother Nature.  The most famous geyser, Pohutu, which means big splash, can erupt up to 30 meters high in front of you and there’s no other geyser in the world that is this accessible.  You can smell the sulphur for miles, but it is an awesome sight.  We also toured the small museum that is operated by the Maori’s,  learned about the Maori culture and watched a demonstration of wood carving.  All the Maori carvings tell a story and they are quite beautiful, you see everything from totem poles to small carvings, and they can take anywhere from 3 days to 3-4 months to create depending on the size of the carvings.  We left the museum and went to our hotel---The Millennium Hotel Rotarua where we stayed for one night.  The Millennium is Rotaorua’s largest deluxe hotel and it is located in the heart of the city by the lake and the Polynesian Spa.  Our room had a view of Lake Rotorua and the natural forest.  It is the perfect location and you are only about 2 to 3 blocks---within walking distance from the hotel to shopping, restaurants and bars.  Rotorua also has more golf courses than I have seen in a small city, it seemed like they were on every block!   Even though it was fall in New Zealand, the temperature was about 60 degrees and we had light showers throughout the afternoon and evening.

We had about two hours to rest and freshen up before our special dinner and show.  I went to the business center to send an email to my hubby and let him know that I missed him and then rushed to my room for a quick shower and change.  Our special dinner that night was at the MITAI MAORI VILLAGE and we were treated to the traditional Maori Hangi and Revue—which is a cultural experience with Maori music and dancing.  It was a fun evening with a great buffet that included New Zealand lamb, beef and pork.  We watched the Maori performers come down the lake on a canoe in their ceremonial dress complete with torches and singing and from there we followed them into the exhibition hall for the show.  After the show it was back to the hotel for a long winter’s night and some sleep…. I don’t think so…it was just wishful thinking!  What can I say, the day faded into night and day 2, had come to an end.

Don’t forget to tune in for Day 3; it will be another fun day.  There is much to see and so little time, that we try to cram as much as possible into every day.  Call me when you are ready to travel to New Zealand, it really is beautiful! 

When I left you on my last Blog entry on May 11th, I was just boarding my flight from Los Angeles to Auckland.  The flight was to depart Los Angeles at 10:30pm and arrive in Auckland on Monday, April 26 at 6:25am so it was a long flight, but at least the plane was not sold out.   I was assigned an aisle seat in the center 4 seats and I was lucky that no one had been assigned the 2 seats next to me, so I was able to spread out a little.  At the last minute I bought one of those pillows that wrap around your neck and I must say it was the best thing that I ever did, without the pillow I doubt I would have been able to sleep at all, as the seats backs are not conducive to really sleeping.  (Hint:  Buy the pillow--it will be the best investment you ever make when traveling!)  First class is much better but I was in coach, granted I was in the premium coach, which is just behind the first class section, so that was not as bad as being at the back of the plane (much quieter).  I never seem to be able to sleep when I fly but with the pillow I was able to at least get a few winks in!  You can only watch so many movies or read for so long, before finding yourself sleepy!  I have to tell you that Air New Zealand is a fabulous airline, they were voted the  No. 1 international airline and I can believe it, for about 300+ people, there were a total of 10 stewards and stewardesses, 2 interpreters and a Concierge on board the flight.  They were exceptional and you could tell that they loved their jobs.  They had a great attitude and were very, very professional and the service on board the flight was excellent.    An hour into the flight, they served dinner and then afterwards everyone settled in for a long night.  After about 11 hours they served breakfast and then 2 hours later we were landing in Auckland….. Don’t forget all the time changes that we went thru, and the 13 hours actual flying time (if you count all the air time from Memphis to Los Angeles and the 5 hour layover, I had been traveling for well more than 24 hours). 

We arrived Monday morning, deplaned and went to the baggage claim area, got our bags and then stood in line to clear customs and immigration.  It wasn’t too bad at 7:00am so we cleared customs pretty fast and found our motor coach waiting outside for us.  If you haven’t figured it out by now, I was with a group of people from all over the United States.  Our driver was one of the tour guides on the trip, so we had a short sightseeing trip around the city on the way to our hotel…. boy, did I want to shower and change clothes---perfume can only last so long!!   After flying that long, you really are ready for a long, hot shower to try and revive before the day starts.  We checked into our hotel, the Crowne Plaza Auckland that is located in the center of the city and is one block away from the main shopping and restaurant/bar area, so it was a perfect location.  We had an hour to freshen up and then we hopped on the bus and headed for the Auckland harbor.  Auckland is called the “City of Sails” because they have the largest marina in the world just filled with yachts and sailboats.  Our first sightseeing tour was a 2hour Coffee Cruise on the “Pride of Auckland”, a large sailboat, around the Auckland harbor.  It was a perfect day for sailing, the temperature even though it is fall—the opposite of our seasons---was in the low 70’s and sunny.  We lucked out on the weather, they had just had several days of rain, so it was absolutely beautiful and the sailboat was a great way to see the city from the water.  After the cruise, we boarded the bus and did a more in-depth city tour.  We did 2 hotel inspections close to the Crowne Plaza and before the day was over, our last stop was a tour that took us up to Mount Eden---which is one of Auckland’s extinct volcanoes so that we could enjoy a spectacular view of the city.  The view was awesome, it was cooler and very windy, but the view was worth the trip, you could see all of Auckland from this point.  We drove back to our hotel, had 3 hours to rest up and then we had dinner and drinks to end our first day in New Zealand.  During my 3 hours before dinner, I walked around the city and when I returned to the hotel, I decided to get a shoulder massage.  I had a half hour massage and paid about $15 USD including the tip---what a bargain!  After dinner, we walked back to our hotel…the day was now over and the jet lag was beginning to set in.  

Check back tomorrow for day 2 ---you won’t be sorry!  I hope that you will enjoy your virtual tour of New Zealand, so when you are ready to go, call me and let me help plan your trip, I can guarantee that it will be special!!  It is one of my favorite destinations.

What a whirlwind time I've had for the last 2 weeks, I'm back from New Zealand and I have to tell you it was one of the best trips that I have taken in a long time.  I traveled to Auckland, New Zealand on Saturday, April 24th and returned from Queenstown, New Zealand on May 4th.  I must admit that I did not look forward to the long flight, but once you get in the air and start your trip--you're already half way there at least in your mind!

As is typical these days with airlines, you never know what is going to happen.  If you remember back, the Saturday that I left Memphis, it had been storming since Friday afternoon and there were tornadoes all around Memphis.  Flights were delayed or cancelled all over the South, so as usual when it rains, the airlines cancel flights.  Wouldn't you know that my flight was the one that was cancelled.  I was suppose to leave Memphis on USAir and fly to Los Angeles via a connection in Phoenix, so that I could connect with my Air New Zealand flight that departed Los Angeles at 10:30pm to Auckland.  I was extremely lucky in that USAir called my office to advise that my flight was cancelled----no explanation as to why, just cancelled.  They gave me an 800 number to call and low and behold, they were able to protect me on a non-stop flight from Memphis to LAX on Delta Airlines, so it all worked out.  The departure time were similar but it just meant that I would have a much longer layover in Los Angeles...approximately 5 hours before my international flight.  Such is life, I always tell my clients, just go with the flow and enjoy the new adventure, so that is exactly what I did!   I had plenty of time to make my flight, get something to eat, read a good book and not get that rushed feeling that you get when you travel. 

I have to tell you that I sat next to a couple from Tampa that was going to Fiji to get married and they were both tired and excited.  They were going to be staying at a deluxe resort on a remote island...only 26 bures (like a cottage on the beach) on the whole island...now that is fabulous...we are talking privacy and complete relaxation.  They were looking forward to just being lazy and doing some snorkeling and diving every day.  The groom was a computer guru and he was working on his computer.  His fiancee said that he promised he would only work on the flight to Los Angeles and then he would not use his computer for the next 14 days, so he was working like crazy to finish all his work and live up to his promise that he had made to his future bride!  The bride was most interesting,  she was an accupuncture doctor so she told me all about her work and how she uses accupuncture to treat her patients.  It was so fascinating that the time just flew by, she gave me some tips about what I could do to treat my shoulder, so I listened intently and appreciated the advice. True to his promise, the future groom completed his work on the computer before we landed in Los Angeles, so his computer was packed up to not be opened again until they returned!  The first part of my journey was completed now, so I just had to survive the long layover before boarding my plane and starting the next part of my exciting adventure!

They started boarding our Air New Zealand flight about 10pm, and there were about 300 people on the flight.  I was getting anxious because I wanted to talk to my husband before I left the country, and he was in New Orleans working a USTA Tennis tournament, so I did not know if he would be off the court in time to make the call before I left...after all, it would be almost 11 days before I would see him again!!!  Hey, even though I have been married for 34 years, he's my best friend and I just wanted to hear his voice again.  We had decided that instead of calling while out of the country, that we would communicate by email each day, so I really wanted to talk to him and let him know that I would miss him and tell him I loved him.....Ok, I know its hokey, but I'm just a sentimental and romantic girl at heart!   My husband called just in time while I was standing in line to board the plane, so I was both relieved and happy to know that I could leave with a peaceful heart and knowing that I had completed my checklist.   Stay tuned for my next blog to hear about all the exciting things that I did on my trip.