Raetihi Lodge Picton

... br>(כמ ;ובן בדברי 01; מסויי 02;ים:))
של& #1493;ש שעות שייט, שתי שעות שינה , ילדה אחת מעצבנ 14; שהרעי 13;ה, אפס ...

... time. I wasn’t sure I could make the plunge. The air temp was about 55-60 and the water was 60-70. Finally, I got up the courage, positioned myself on the back of the boat, and slid in – aaaaaaayyyyyyy! It definitely takes your breath away! I kicked away from the boat and finally managed to put my head down (donning snorkel equipment). It didn’t take long before I spotted my first dolphin maybe three feet below me – pretty amazing. Then ...

... village I decided to take the plunge and enjoyed over an hour lazing in the warm water. I got out changed and was about to leave when I realised I had not been in the Sulphur pools, so I went back and changed again and enjoyed another half an hour relaxing there in the hotter pool and chatted to a very interesting lady from Christchurch who ran her own relaxation and therapy clinic.

As the wireless internet here was free I spent the rest of the evening and early ...

Queen Charlotte Track and Marlborough Sounds 20 to 24 March A very winding road brought us to the small village of Portage on Kenepuru Sound and we decided to base ourselves there for the next few days. The Dept of Conservation campsite was right next to the Sound and at the nearby hotel we could hire kayaks and bikes. Portage is about halfway along the 71 km long Queen Charlotte Track which follows a ridge with Kenepuru Sound on one side and Queen Charlotte Sound on the other. From the ...

... But really we watch just a few minutes of TV every week. (And I secretly really miss it).

- Finally got a sunny day so we went to a International skateboarding contest along the harbor. Felt really out of place.

- Took a cable car ride to the top of a mountain over looking downtown Wellington and the harbor then hiked down (it counts if you walk through people's yards, right?). Wanted to go to the Carter Observatory but it is closed for ...

We watched hundreds of seals sunbathe, play, fight, swim, and laze around for about an hour. It was lovely to see all the various behaviors of the colony - just at the side of the ocean road (high way #1). We puttered around the Blenheim area wine route, trying to find a few wineries which were recommended. In the end we pulled in for lunch at 2:55pm, 5 minutes before closing, so we were not too successful at having a lovely meal there. But, we've ...

... ferry. The ferry took about 3 and a half hours to cross to Wellington, we were sharing the ferry with lots of calves probably off to the slaughter. We watched some kids films on the ferry, including the Lion, witch and the wardrobe. When we arrived in Wellington we had a bit of driving around the city whilst we struggled to find a hostel that had space for us and our car. We eventually settled on the reliable base backpackers, though we did have to pay 10 dollars a day for car parking.

... into a really warm afternoon and it was fabulous sitting on the top deck, watching the sun sparkling on the water and the endless forested hillsides and bays drift past us. If this was to be our last day on South Island then again, the weather had been kind to us. We went to a quayside pub for supper and what do you eat in the 'Green Shelled Mussel capital of the World' ?? Damn right ! My bowl of enormous mussels were delicious, I should have got into them sooner.

... of fascinating and clever 3D images, Wall of Following Faces - where nearly 200 faces not only appear to stand out from the wall despite in fact being recessed but also appear to turn towards you as you walk around the room - quite spooky! Our favourite was the Tilted House which wreaks havoc with your sense of balance and makes balls and chairs appear to roll uphill - it has to be seen to be believed. Even the toilets are an illusion, with replica Roman style bench ...

The above is the name of Andy's kayaking company if he ever starts one. We had a new experience in Golden Bay - kayaking in the sunshine! The bay lives up to its name with awesome deserted beaches, very quiet and we even saw a couple of seals. It is important to keep well clear of the roosting cormorants on the cliffs above.. It was a glorious warm day, Andy went cycling to a mystery cave in the afternoon, I just took the hostel dog for a short walk and then ...