There's No Place Like Home

We made it.  Arrived today around 3:45 on the late 2:10 ferry.  It always looks good on paper but after 33 hours of traveling it was nice to pause overnight in B'ham for a break and a nice visit with Jan and Eric.  

And the today, driving into our driveway. 

Phew!!

It's still there. Home Sweet Home!

Heading Home

We survived the rental car and are now at Queenstown airport awaiting our flight to Auckland and then to Vancouver from there. 

See you all soon!

Last Day in Dunedin

This is Daryl - he keeps the streets and sidewalks of Dunedin clean with this mobile, self-propelled street vacuum.
He even let me try it out and I sucked up an unsightly dry leaf that was laying there on the sidewalk.

So today was our last full day here - tomorrow we drive to Queenstown and catch our flight home. Dunedin was a fun urban inner city experience. What a great time we've had but it will be good to get home too.

At the top of these stairs on Dowling Street, we found a cool used bookstore.

On the floor of this bookstore was some HO Train tracks running through mouse holes in the walls...

Packing For Home

I was afraid I wouldn't want to come home after being in New Zealand.  

But you wanna know a secret?   

There's No Place Like Home!!!!

 New Zealnd was fun, an awesome experience and I learned a lot about me but Friday Harbor is where my heart is!!

Kia Ora

NZ Fish n' Chips

I've tried all these new kinds of fish since I've been here in New Zealand.  And Yum!!!!! I haven't had a bad one yet.  I've also never heard of these fish before.  

I've had Brill, Gurnard, Monk and Blue Cod. Dee-Lish!!

Wildlife Tour

Today we went with a tour company and did the peninsula on the east side of Dunedin, home of lots of wildlife including fur seals, yellow eyed penguins, sea lions and the royal albatross. Here are some shots from our excursion:

Baldwin Street

Baldwin Street is the steepest street in the world.  It has a really interesting history, like a few competitions they do every year.  They roll numbered candies down the hill for one and race up and down it for another.  We had to see what it was all about and walk up it of course.  

Here is the url if you want to read more about it. 

http://www.dunedin.nz.com/baldwin-street.aspx

Random Favorites

Here is a collection of other favorite photos from our trip that never got published on the blog. Click the "Read more" link to see them...

Famous New Zealand fern slowly unfurling

Street Art Trail

We started out today going to Vogel St Kitchen for breakfast.  Another fabulous recommendation from our Airbnb hostess, Ashleigh.  According to google maps it's about due South of the Octagon. (or the city centre)  

It was at this restaurant we came across this map showing us where to find Dunedin Street Art.  So we were fastly entertained by walking around Dunedin looking for every one of the 25 listed.  

Of course Tim and I had our favorites.  

This is mine by "Be Free"......

This is Tim's favorite by Phlegm....

We made it to 24 out of the 25. 

What a great way to spend my birthday!

Thank you everyone for your birthday wishes!!! 

The Catlins

Shannon is just about to get her feet wet in the South Pacific Ocean for the first time.

We took a drive south of the city today to The Catlins which is the area at the southern end of New Zealand's south island, and it includes Catlins Forest Park. We didn't go there, but we did go to Nugget Point and to Purakaunui Falls. Here are a few highlights from today:

3 Wishes

My babe wanted three things today....

First was to check out Nugget Point, in the Catlins. 

Second was to put his bare feet in the water off a sandy beach in the Catlins. 

Third was to see Purakaunui Falls.

And that's as far as we made it before we turned back. 

One Year Long

I buzzed my head last year January 16, 2015. 

I'd always wondered if I had the nerve to buzz my head, and I'd just lost another friend to cancer so it seemed apropos or just the right time.   It's just over a year later and I haven't had to endure any haircuts or stylists and I've saved a butt load of money in the process.   Here I am with a year of hair.  What fun! 

Dunedin Photo Challenge

Today was a day to relax and regroup and just go wherever the wind took us. We decided to have a friendly "Photo Challenge" today as we walked around taking pictures of everything in sight.

So here it is - we came up with 3 categories, Architectural, People and Color. Then we each shot things that caught our interest, and after returning to our flat, we each chose the favorite that we shot, and also chose the favorite that the other shot, in each of those categories.

We both ended up choosing the same image as the overall winner for both Architectural, and People, but we did not agree on Color, with each of us choosing our own as the finalist. So now it's up to you (if you accept) to help us decide which one wins the Color category overall.

Here are the photos:

Dolphins

Not my best work, but finally a video showing our dolphin escort in Milford Sound last week. Click here to see it on YouTube.

Dunedin Digs

That's our place on the 3rd floor on the right. (with the windows open).

We made it to Dunedin. East coast. We'll be here until next Thursday (Wednesday back home) when we will drive back to Queenstown and fly out of here.

Here's the inside. A wonderful, light, open and airy space. That's a kitchen way back there in the corner.

But for now here we are in the inner city. Lots to explore from here both north and south. Trains. Albatross. Penguins. Saturday Markets. The Catlins.

Shannon looks very cosmopolitan as she checks out the map while planning our dinner dining experience, don't ya think?

Recap Before Dunedin

Aren't we silly?  This was our hotel just before our Doubtful Sound kayak trip. 

The dining room of our B&B we stayed in after our kayak trip.  This B&B was converted from an old convent.  It was absolutely charming.

Looking out our bedroom window. 

Finally Tim's hands this morning.  Imagine every one of those bumps itching incessantly.  Have we said enough of the sand flies yet?  Quite impressionable little beasts. 

Ah well, off to Dunedin......

Cheating death, but...

This was us yesterday evening yearning for Mosquitos. 

We've just returned from our 3 day kayak trip in Doubtful Sound and are now showered, fed, and tending to our SAND FLY BITES! I guess they won. I just counted 53 welts on my left hand & arm and decided not to count elsewhere. 

Was it gorgeous?

Absolutely. 

Was it world class?

Totally. 

Would I ever do it again or recommend it to a friend?

Definitely not. 

As soon as we approached any shore, beach or campsite, we were immediately swarmed with biting sand flies ( they're kinda like Mosquitos but worse.) both day and night - they don't care, they're just out for blood. 

Anyway. More later. Right now must chill out and delight in this bug free B&B. 

Ready to Kayak

One last meal in town before we head out to rough it for a few days and Shannon is boggled by the thought of no shower or flush toilets. Naw I'm kidding - she's actually good with it and just being silly for the photo as we wait for our dinner. 

Good times. We're heading out to Doubtful Sound tomorrow for 3 days of kayaking. 

Fiordland National Park

So many photos shot on yesterday's outing, it was hard to narrow it down, but here are a few good contenders.
We drove up to Piopiotahi (Milford Sound) and found ourselves on a grockle boat, and apparently were very lucky to have the beautiful weather. The guide was telling everyone that it's usually raining. They get 200+ days of rain every year.

This is just one of several waterfalls we saw. Many are temporary (the ones we didn't see) and were not there because of the gorgeous weather, however you could easily see their tracks down the mountains.

We did cruise out of the fiord onto the Tasman Sea for just a bit. The guide said that if we were to continue in that direction, in about 4 days we could come to a large, very dry land mass that is home to many, many different marsupials and interestingly, very few rugby trophies.

We were escorted by bottle nose dolphins coming back. They played in our wake for a bit and I got some video of that, but I can't upload it yet with the internet speed we have here. Hopefully next week in Dunedin, I'll be able to.

After the cruise, we stopped many times on roadside pull-offs to try to take it all in. (not sure it's possible to take it all in).

What to do, What to do?

Hmmm.  What do we do when we've got a day to kill?  Oh alright,

let's check out Milford Sound and see what all the fuss is about. 

Hey!! Look, the Milford Wanderer is leaving in 5 minutes.  Let's get on it. 

Ok, that didn't suck.  Can you see who's tail is wagging in this photo?

My one and only. 

Moturau Hut

I made it today to Moturau Hut, which would have been tomorrow's overnight, if we had hiked the Kepler Track.  I came in from the opposite way today.   I didn't stay long because everywhere I tried to take a break and relax a gazillion sand flies wanted to join me.  They bite worse than mosquitos. 

These are stoat traps.  I've seen them on a lot of trails here in NZ.   Stoats are like weasels or ferrets and were brought here to NZ to get a handle on the overpopulating rabbits.  Sound familiar?  Only the Stoats are killing the Kiwi birds, native to NZ.  These birds are nocturnal and are flightless land birds. 

But what a wonderful hike on such a glorious day.  Oh and today was my first day to drive on the left hand side of the road.  It's amazingly weird, but doable. 

Plan B

This is what the Kepler Track looked like the day before the high winds of 110kph and heavy rains.  

This is what it looked like most of theday yesterday.    When we arrived in Manapouri the first time I asked Tim to drive me back to Te Anau and I said I was going to do it.  I was all packed, with only a few doubts plaguing me, like cold running water available, another reader board said I may have to treat it and Tim asked if my stuff sack for my sleeping bag was waterproof? 

 Hmmm, I think so.  

For me it was a hard decision not to go until I got out of the car and the wind was blowing me down and the rain was cold and continuous.  But I think I made the right decision. 

Stay Left

New Zealand has presented us with a few firsts; first time in the Southern Hemisphere, first time in New Zealand and first time driving on the left hand side of the road in the right hand side of the car. 

 My favorite part is when the rental car saleswoman was confirming, instructing us and then asking us to sign here,  she would say "it's common sense".  Really??? I actually get that.  

Don't drive and text at the same time. Don't drink and drive.  Pull over and rest when you're tired.  Common sense?! I got this!! 

Rained Out

Well the weather did not smile on us today so Shannon bagged the Kepler Track hike. I had already bagged it yesterday due to a pulled muscle and some shoe trouble. 

So we're now in Manapouri for the weekend and just walked on this beautiful lakeside path. 

We are staying in a roadside motor inn straight out of the 1970's with a view of this beautiful lake. 

The view from our room really doesn't suck. Not even a little bit.