March 27

Awoke very early, breakfast at the hotel and then off to Sydney International Airport by 7:15AM.  The day is overcast and a little humid but mild temps.  So quiet on this Easter morning, surreal and hard to think of Easter yet it is!  Everywhere are bunnies and handing out chocolate eggs even at the airport.  Our flight was about 3 hours to Queenstown, very cloudy but passing over ocean most of the time.  Fairly full flight but can’t believe Chuck and I luck out with an empty seat between us. Makes econ flying so much more pleasant!  We have a full meal, movie, free drinks and a chocolate rabbit.  Our plane comes down right beside one of the mountains, at times we seem to just be missing the peaks below, we are flying up a valley to land.  Our first impression is, Alaska!   Mountains rise all around us.  It’s very low humidity but the air is still pleasant.  No snow on these mountains, but it’s early fall only.  We go through very strict security to enter the country; they call it the Island farm and is vulnerable to diseases, invasive species etc.  One of our travelers has to give up her sealed package of croc meat.  Queenstown sits on a huge glacier fed lake.  The town is small and houses line the hills.  This is very definitely a tourist town with fancy restaurants and shopping, it reminds us of Banff.  The mountains around us are 6-7500 feet high.   We have brought some NZ cash but have some Aus dollars left over.  We will exchange for NZ dollars no charge tomorrow at the bank.  The dollar is strong right now, about 1.50 to 1.00 NZ.  The Novotel hotel sits right in the downtown with a view to the lake and mountains from the windows.  There are gorgeous roses of every color in full bloom as well as mop head hydrangeas. Some of the trees have begun to turn.  We have a fjord cruise tomorrow and it is at that point that we will be the closest to Antarctica on this trip.   The capital of NZ, Wellington, is the farthest south capital in the southern hemisphere.  We are having cloud cover but no rain.  We are bussed to the gondola that runs straight up the mountain in town for dinner and views.  The ride is very steep in the little swinging cars.  Chuck’s not crazy about it, but what great views.  We see sheep grazing up the side; they roam free and then are rounded up for winter.  There is a luge ride, a bungee jump, parasailing and other crazy things to do at this site.  We enter the restaurant for an incredible buffet of every kind of food that can be imagined including desserts.  We are able to sample a lot of the NZ lamb, beef, pork, cured meats and all manner of seafood.  We try a pint of the local brew, Tenacious Brew, an XPA, a combo of IPA and lager.  It is drawn from a pump in the shape of a wood stump with an ax in it.  We are surrounded by huge tall fir trees.  The view from the dining room windows and the observation deck are spectacular.  Steep mountains rising from sea level, very jagged, we can tell these are young mountains, still rising from tectonic pressure.  Which is why NZ has big earthquakes.  The lake fills the valleys around the mountains and the town sits on the banks.  The water is dark aquamarine blue, very glacial looking.  There are no big wild critters in New Zealand, so like Alaska they have scenery and adventure but no beasts to avoid.  Back down the gondola, Chuck has his eyes closed most of the time.  Bussed back to the hotel.  Early night after we walked the town earlier.  Chance to get some laundry done and get some sleep.  We’re really here, in NZ!