Kia Ora - a Maori greeting from New Zealand. We arrived in Queenstown eight days ago and have primarily spent our time touring the southern part of the South Island and have enjoyed it immensely! While New Zealand is only a (relatively) short flight from Australia there is a 'world of difference' in terms of the pace of life and variation in landscape. Being the adaptable pair that we are we have adjusted quite nicely to the lifestyle and scenery. If you are a Lord of the Rings fan, like Rob, you may prefer to think that you were quietly transported to 'Middle Earth'. It truly was quite a unique feeling to land in the mountainous setting of Queenstown after six weeks taking in the faster paced beach/water culture in Australia. Queenstown is a gorgeous place. We took the gondola to the lookout, walked miles around the area, drove to a couple of the small neighboring towns and wandered in search of a few Lord of the Rings film sites (Ford at Bruinen, battle site between Rangers of Gondor and Harad with elephants, Rohan, etc). While recently a popular spot for filming several scenes for the Lord of the Rings movie, Queenstown was originally named because it was 'fit for a queen" and in my mind it still is.

After touring Queenstown we headed down the road to Milford Sound stopping for a night in TeAnau. While many of the local roads are small and winding we also passed through some gorgeous prairie like settings. Before we left home my Dad mentioned that "if one is to get homesick this would be the place". While we don't feel homesick we certainly found ourselves saying "this looks like Waterton, Field, Sundre or Kelowna" on several occasions. We also said "wow that's gorgeous or isn't that beautiful?" numerous times a day. So it was good to see the sites and be reminded of the beauty on our own doorstop as well. Milford Sound and the Fiordlands were amazing. There was hardly a cloud in the sky so there were postcard style shots all day long. We took an overnight boat trip out on the Sound so we really got to take in the tranquility of the setting. On the way into Milford Sound we stopped and completed a hike to the Key Summit. It was a bit of work to climb the many switchbacks (especially given the heat) but well worth the effort.

We also spent time in Mount Cook National Park where we hiked from the townsite to the base of Mount Cook. Again we were blessed with beautiful weather so had several clear views of the Southern Alps with their sharp peaks and stunning glaciers. In between Fiordlands National Park and Mount Cook we spent a couple of nights in a lovely little town called Cromwell. Rob got in another round of golf and we took in a few wineries so it was a very worthwhile stop. Highly recommended.

As you've probably gathered the weather to-date has been exceptionally nice. Actually a little too nice for some of the locals as they do need water after several weeks without it. Today is a little cloudier and cooler so they may get their wish soon. For now I will close by quoting a Kiwi expression - that everything is "as good as gold" for us. We look forward to exploring more of this lovely country as we make our way northward.