We travelled across the Southern Alps via the stunningly scenic Arthur's Pass to Franz Josef, in the rainforest. Three main roads provide access to passes to the mountains. One is Lewis Pass at the northernmost part; southernmost is Burke's Pass and central is Arthur's Pass, which marks the eastern portal of the Otira Tunnel, the only rail link through the mountains. It is an 8 km long tunnel completed in 1923. It took 15 years to construct and is...

Today's the day!! I woke up and went to the beach to see the sunrise. The start of a gorgeous day. I was thinking of all of you while enjoying the view. Miss you guys lots!! It was so peaceful. No-one else was around. I had the entire beach all to myself.  At 7:45 we met Auto and went to brekkie. After eating, we boarded a bus to take us to the wharf and boarded the boat (the Delphinium) to take us to the dolphin meeting area. Some of the gals on the Au...

We took the ferry from Wellington to the South Island and then took the coastal railway from Picton to the seaside town of Kaikoura (population 3,500), known for its volcanic black-sand beaches.The Cook Straight was fairly smooth going. I could feel the rocking of the ferry but it wasn't bad and we all made it across without any sea sickness. I was talking to the coffee guy (very good looking) on the ferry who told me that there were 2 pods of dolphins follo...

This was our day to explore Wellington, the seat of government as well as the unofficial cultural centre of the country.Right after breakfast, we took a walking tour with Auto who got us oriented in the city. He gave us suggestions of things to do and then we went our separate ways. We saw the "Beehive" which is part of the Parliament buildings and just got familiar with the city. Vic, Beth and I decided to hike up Mount Victoria to take in the sweeping views of...

This was a travel day. Before embarking on our marathon bus ride to Wellington, we went back to the dark side of the moon and visited some bubbling mud pits. The mud is actually acid sulphate. Then we visited the Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland in Rotorua. No it isn't an amusement park, although you would think so from the name. This geothermal area sits over an active volcano with bubbling mud pits, spurting geysers, steaming and multi-coloured springs in di...