New Zealand Photos

[Roger]

In February, March and early April, Kay and I toured extensively in New Zealand and Australia. In 9 weeks, we traveled over 40,000 km and went through six different climatic zones. I have relatives in both countries but we spent most of the time on the go, not sitting in their living rooms (or lounges as they call them down under). This was truly the trip of a lifetime for us.

Some people have asked to see some of the 1500 photos I took during our travels. I enjoy sharing my pix and experiences so I have selected 42 New Zealand and 85 Australian photos to post.

Of course many of our experiences were not captured by the camera. Sometimes I didn’t happen to have the camera with me when something noteworthy came up. For example, in Dunedin we were just on our way to the supermarket when thousands of university students of both sexes marched down the street wearing bedsheets (and in some cases only bedsheets). This was part of the initiation activities of freshmen at the local university. Sometimes photos are impossible. For example, we rode a boat deep underground near Te Anau and in the pitch darkness marveled at the thousands of glow worms attached to the walls and roof of the cave. Sometimes my photo just didn’t come out. I tried to take a photo of a cassowary at the Melbourne zoo but the camera stupidly focused on the wire fence and not on the bird. Yet this is the strangest bird I have ever seen and it is said to be the world’s most dangerous. Fortunately for our safety, but unfortunately for my photos, we did not encounter any wild cassowaries in the rainforests of northern Queensland.

Looking at our photos, you may think we did the trip all by ourselves. In fact, more of our trip was done in the company of relatives than without them but for reasons of privacy, I will not post their photos.

In this thread I will post our New Zealand pix. I will post the Australian photos in a separate thread.

If any Kiwis or Aussies should read this, please don’t hesitate to let me know if I have a fact wrong. We experienced way too much in too short a time to absorb everything correctly.

Okay let's get going.

Here is a photo of the New Zealand flag:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v112/Ardern/New%20Zealand/DSCN3549crop.jpg

[Roger]

My relatives live within easy driving distance of Wellington, which is NZ's capital city. It is located at the southern end of North Island. I really like Wellington. It is beautiful and the people like all New Zealanders are friendly and civilized.

Here is a view of Wellington taken from the top of the cable car track:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v112/Ardern/New%20Zealand/DSCN3340a800.jpg

[Roger]

Gardening is a favourite hobby for both Kay and me and we always visit botanical gardens wherever we travel. Here is a photo of the rose garden. I have seen many rose gardens but never with every single rose bush at the peak of blooming at the same time. Usually, some roses are not yet in bloom while others are in full bloom while others are already finished blooming. I think they were all in bloom when we saw them because of the unusual weather. The spring and early summer (October to the end of January) had been cold and wet. But as soon as we arrived on February 6, the weather turned sunny and warm. So I think all the roses had been delayed then made up for lost time once the warmth arrived and all came out at once.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v112/Ardern/New%20Zealand/DSCN3354a800.jpg

[Roger]

I worked for the Canadian Parliament for 27 years before I retired. So something else we visit wherever we travel is the country's parliament or legislature. Here are two photos of the Parliament Buildings in Wellington.

The modern round building on the left is known popularly as the beehive. It houses the administrative offices. The classical styled building to the right of that houses the House of Representatives.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v112/Ardern/New%20Zealand/DSCN3365a800.jpg

This next photo shows the Victorian styled building to the right of that. This is the Parliamentary Library.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v112/Ardern/New%20Zealand/DSCN3368a800.jpg

I don't know why the three buildings are all styled so differently but I guess the variety is interesting.

[Roger]

Here is a photo of the Oriental Parade in Wellington. Oriental Parade is a fancy way of saying eastern road.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v112/Ardern/New%20Zealand/DSCN3373a800.jpg

In this photo we are on the Oriental Parade looking west toward the main part of the city. The rounded restaurant is a favourite eatery for us. We have eaten there and at a sister restaurant out of town towards Paraparaumu.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v112/Ardern/New%20Zealand/DSCN3423a800.jpg

[Roger]

Here is a shot of Wellington taken from atop Mount Victoria.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v112/Ardern/New%20Zealand/DSCN3414a800.jpg

[Roger]

Most of our holiday in New Zealand was spent in South Island because we had never been there before. We rented a car (or hired a car as they say there) and drove down the west coast and back up the east coast.

One of our first stops was at the Franz Josef Glacier. We signed up for a climb up the glacier. We were told it was a moderate climb. Hah! Well, for folks in their 60s like us, it was not moderate; it was damn hard! It involved wearing crampons on our feet and hauling ourselves up ropes. But of course once we had done it, we were glad we had. Here is a photo of our group just before we started the climb.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v112/Ardern/New%20Zealand/DSCN3474a800.jpg

[Roger]

Most of you know that Shania and her family bought a property just outside of Wanaka and are having a house built there. We did spend one night in Wanaka but it had nothing to do with Shania. Our travel agent told us that the drive from Franz Josef to Queenstown was a bit long for one day and advised us to rest for a night in Wanaka. So we did.

Wanaka is a small town that serves a lot of New Zealanders who want to have a holiday hiking (or tramping as they call it), sailing, etc. Foreigners usually pass it by in favour of the more spectacular Queenstown.

I was curious to see what kind of landscape Shania has her property in. We drove out the road in the direction of her home but I stopped short of actually going there. I felt too uncomfortable knowing how fanatically private the Langes are. Below are two photos of the area. It reminds me of the interior of British Columbia.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v112/Ardern/New%20Zealand/DSCN3509a800.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v112/Ardern/New%20Zealand/DSCN3519a800.jpg

[Roger]

Queenstown could be the most popular tourist destination in New Zealand, certainly in South Island. It has skiing in winter and a variety of activities in summer. It reminds me of Banff or Whistler here in Canada.

Here is the town seen from Bob's Peak:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v112/Ardern/New%20Zealand/DSCN3538a800.jpg

Just to the right of this last shot is this view of Lake Wakatipu. Someone with imagination set up this picture frame with nothing in it for photographers:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v112/Ardern/New%20Zealand/DSCN3546a800.jpg

[Roger]

This is Kawarau Bridge. Kiwis claim this is where bungy jumping began. Others may claim it started elsewhere. I wouldn't know. For sure bungy jumping started here in NZ.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v112/Ardern/New%20Zealand/DSCN3572a600.jpg

We watched bungy jumpers doing their thing. When you are as close as we were, it is quite exciting! Here is one of them:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v112/Ardern/New%20Zealand/DSCN3576a600.jpg

[Roger]

One of the most beautiful and spectacular sites in New Zealand (or anywhere else as far as I am concerned) is Milford Sound seen from a cruise ship. Here are two shots of that:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v112/Ardern/New%20Zealand/DSCN3626a800.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v112/Ardern/New%20Zealand/DSCN3634a800.jpg

[Roger]

Mitre Peak is on Milford Sound. Seen from a certain angle it is one of the most beautiful mountains in the world. In fact, photographers come from all over the world to photograph it. I had been looking forward to taking my own photo of it for, oh, about 40 years. When we were there however, I was enormously frustrated because all the angles I wanted were spoiled by hordes of other tourists who were also taking pictures, picnicking, or otherwise lolling about and getting in my way. Grrr!

I wanted to capture the beauty but also the serenity of the scene so I wandered very far off the beaten track to get away from all the people. This may not be the angle I originally wanted but it turned out well anyway:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v112/Ardern/New%20Zealand/DSCN3649a800.jpg

[Roger]

New Zealand is famous for its sheep. It used to have 70 million but these days it is down to about 40 million. Still, that is about 10 sheep for every New Zealander so that is still a lot. Everywhere we went we saw sheep so I thought I should get at least one shot of them:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v112/Ardern/New%20Zealand/DSCN3660a800.jpg

[Roger]

Dunedin is one of the major cities in South Island. It has Scottish roots. Here is a photo of a statue of Robbie Burns in front of the cathedral:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v112/Ardern/New%20Zealand/DSCN3682a600.jpg

[Roger]

Believe it or not, Dunedin is home to the steepest street in the world. I think these photos tell the story:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v112/Ardern/New%20Zealand/DSCN3698a600.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v112/Ardern/New%20Zealand/DSCN3699crop600.jpg

[Roger]

Here is Dunedin's railway station. Unique Victorian architecture:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v112/Ardern/New%20Zealand/DSCN3700a800.jpg

[Roger]

Here is New Zealand's only castle: Larnach Castle:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v112/Ardern/New%20Zealand/DSCN3712a800.jpg

The gardens are extensive. Here is a shot of part of one:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v112/Ardern/New%20Zealand/DSCN3711a800.jpg

There is a lovely view seen from the castle:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v112/Ardern/New%20Zealand/DSCN3717a800.jpg

[Roger]

The albatross is a southern hemisphere bird. It spends most of its year flying above the southern oceans and only alights on land to reproduce. At other times, they rest by sitting on the ocean itself when it is calm. Albatrosses can and do stay aloft for days at a time. Their wingspan is enormous (3 and a half metres, or about 12 feet).

There is only one spot on earth where the albatrosses nest on a mainland and that is in New Zealand.

If I remember correctly, it is the male who sits on the eggs. Here is one I photographed:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v112/Ardern/New%20Zealand/DSCN3724crop.jpg


Here are some albatross nests which were not in use at the time we were there:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v112/Ardern/New%20Zealand/DSCN3729a800.jpg

[Roger]

The east coast of South Island has many penguins. Most are the blue penguins. But we saw yellow eyed penguins which are actually much rarer:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v112/Ardern/New%20Zealand/DSCN3739crop800.jpg

[Roger]

Now, I thought this looked very strange. Look at the water. There is a vortex just in front of us, just like when you let water out of a sink. In fact, that is exactly what is happening here. They open an underwater drain to feed a canal:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v112/Ardern/New%20Zealand/DSCN3756a800.jpg

[Roger]

Mount Cook is New Zealand's highest mountain. I took this photo on one of our hikes:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v112/Ardern/New%20Zealand/DSCN3775a800.jpg

[Roger]

Christchurch is the largest city in South Island. Here is the cathedral:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v112/Ardern/New%20Zealand/DSCN3785a600.jpg

Here are a couple of shots taken from up inside the steeple:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v112/Ardern/New%20Zealand/DSCN3813a800.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v112/Ardern/New%20Zealand/DSCN3814a800.jpg

[Roger]

Christchurch has a very English character. It calls its river the Avon and punters take tourists for a ride up and down the river:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v112/Ardern/New%20Zealand/DSCN3791a800.jpg

[Roger]

Here is Christchurch's arts centre:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v112/Ardern/New%20Zealand/DSCN3798a800.jpg

[Roger]

The town of Akaroa is near Christchurch. It is located on an old volcano site. Here is a view of the setting:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v112/Ardern/New%20Zealand/DSCN3845a800.jpg

Akaroa was orginally settled by the French. Its street names reflect this:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v112/Ardern/New%20Zealand/DSCN3855a800.jpg

[Roger]

Here are some of New Zealand's famous black swans in their natural setting:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v112/Ardern/New%20Zealand/DSCN3873a800.jpg

[Roger]

The east coast of South Island is also home to many seals. Here is one of them:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v112/Ardern/New%20Zealand/DSCN3882a800.jpg

[Roger]

We are back in Wellington now. For you literary types, here is Katherine Mansfield's birthplace:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v112/Ardern/New%20Zealand/DSCN3900a800.jpg

[Roger]

This is the end of the NZ photos. Here is a shot of Wellington taken from the plane:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v112/Ardern/New%20Zealand/DSCN3311a800.jpg


I will be posting photos of Australia hopefully in a few days.

[Troll]

Cool pics Roger.

[SevenUp!]

Gardening is a favourite hobby for both Kay and me and we always visit botanical gardens wherever we travel. Here is a photo of the rose garden.http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v112/Ardern/New%20Zealand/DSCN3354a800.jpg

That is beautiful Roger....you've probably been to Butchart Gardens in Victoria, B.C.? Also, a gorgeous place.

You only watched the bungy jumpers on Kawarau Bridge? ;) Looks like fun doesn't it? :D

Thanks for all the amazing pictures!! New Zealand looks like an incredible place....no wonder Shania wants to live there!! :love:

Looking forward to reading about and seeing the pictures from Australia too.

[Roger]

That is beautiful Roger....you've probably been to Butchart Gardens in Victoria, B.C.? Also, a gorgeous place.

You only watched the bungy jumpers on Kawarau Bridge? ;) Looks like fun doesn't it? :D

Thanks for all the amazing pictures!! New Zealand looks like an incredible place....no wonder Shania wants to live there!! :love:

Looking forward to reading about and seeing the pictures from Australia too.

Yes, indeed, I have seen the Butchart Gardens. It is a former quarry turned into a botanical garden. They also have the coloured fountains at night.

Um, yes, we watched the bungy jumpers but did not jump ourselves. You know, they charge you $150 or so for the privilege of jumping. Kay put our attitude best: "I don't see paying $150 for the opportunity to mess my pants!" :D

[SevenUp!]

Um, yes, we watched the bungy jumpers but did not jump ourselves. You know, they charge you $150 or so for the privilege of jumping. Kay put our attitude best: "I don't see paying $150 for the opportunity to mess my pants!" :D

Leave it to Kay.....that's hilarious!! :funny:

[Troll]

Um, yes, we watched the bungy jumpers but did not jump ourselves. You know, they charge you $150 or so for the privilege of jumping. Kay put our attitude best: "I don't see paying $150 for the opportunity to mess my pants!" :D


That is true.

[aFinn]

I really like Wellington. It is beautiful and the people like all New Zealanders are friendly and civilized.

Here is a view of Wellington taken from the top of the cable car track:
The pics from Wellington look fabulous. Does the cable car lead to only a sightseeing place?

One of the most beautiful and spectacular sites in New Zealand (or anywhere else as far as I am concerned) is Milford Sound seen from a cruise ship. Here are two shots of that:What is this place?

The east coast of South Island has many penguins.The east coast of South Island is also home to many seals.Animals I've come to associate with Antarctica, interesting to know they can be found in New Zealand too.


Kay put our attitude best: "I don't see paying $150 for the opportunity to mess my pants!" :D... I love Kay: Do you have poison ivy in Finland.... :funny: (sorry for the inside joke)

[Roger]

Wellington like most NZ cities is built on hills. The cable car takes you up to a higher part of the city. At the immediate top is a restaurant and the botanical garden.

Milford Sound is a fiord on the southwest coast of South Island.

[ShaniaKoukla]

Beautiful photos Rog

[aFinn]

Wellington like most NZ cities is built on hills. The cable car takes you up to a higher part of the city. At the immediate top is a restaurant and the botanical garden.

Milford Sound is a fiord on the southwest coast of South Island.Are there houses there as well or just the tourist bitty stuff?

Ah, ok. Wonderful pics from that area, very beautiful.

[Roger]

Are there houses there as well or just the tourist bitty stuff?

Ah, ok. Wonderful pics from that area, very beautiful.

There are houses and other buildings. They build on slopes we never would because there is so little flat land. They are lucky they don't get snow in winter!

[randine]

Those pictures are awesome. Thanks for sharing!!

[Eilleen2]

Merci Roger pour toutes ces magnifiques photos.

[shania megafan]

Wow amazing pics! Thanks for posting

[Groucho]

Roger I enjoyed your photos and comments, excellent. Thank you very much.

[aFinn]

Ah, funny to see this thread back on top of list, as just last week some people at work were admiring my desktop picture of the NZ mountain. Roger's pics are admired around the world :D:up:

[uniquestar]

wow! what a very nice pictures I've seen here! :]

[Roger]

Thanx for the nice comments, folks! I think I posted photos of our Australian travels as well if anyone is interested. I find that most Shania fans seem more interested in the NZ pix though. I wonder why?

[Burch]

Nice! wow!!