To Queenstown

We woke up in time to see another beautiful sunrise at Skyscape.

We took our time getting ready.  We have about a three hour drive today and the check-in at the Rees Hotel in Queenstown isn’t until 3 p.m. However, as I mentioned earlier, the glass makes certain times of the day at Skyscape less desirable.  When I saw Gayle sitting on the bed with her sunglasses on I asked if maybe we shouldn’t head out.

Our travel agent told we should get gas before we head out today and, of course, we also need our flat whites.  On the way to run these errands we found a farmer herding his two runaway cows back home.  He did not look pleased.

We have a day trip to Wanaka planned for when we are in Queenstown.  Everyone has told us not to miss Wanaka.  We decided that since we have time today we would make a detour to Wanaka on the way and save our Wanaka day for a different adventure.  It started raining shortly before we arrived in Wanaka. It appears that Wanaka is a tourist destination.  Every shop you can possibly imagine is down near the lakefront.  Once we found parking we hopped out and looked around.

I am sure it is drop dead gorgeous here when the sun is out and you can see the Southern Alps in the distance.  It wasn’t bad today but I am sure it is way more stunning on a different day.

We didn’t dilly dally here.  We headed for Queenstown down the Cardrona Valley Road.  This is Gayle’s second time to New Zealand.  She came with her sons and their spouses back in 2000.  While in Queenstown, Gayle rented a car and drove to Wanaka to talk to Sir Tim Wallis.  He raised red deer for their antlers (velvet).  Gayle and her husband were doing the same but by raising elk.  She took the Cardrona Valley Road up from Queenstown.  I mentioned that Gayle is afraid of heights.  Actually, she has what is called cremnophobia, the fear of cliffs.  Specifically when driving on a steep road with a cliff plummeting down the side she is afraid she will have the urge to steer the car off the edge.  The first time she told me about this fear we were in South Africa and she was the one driving alongside a steep cliff! Since then I have learned that this fear is actually quite common.

Back in 2000 when she had made an appointment to visit Sir Tim Wallis she discovered that the Cardrona Valley Road was a dirt road with no guardrails. Her cremnophobia kicked in big time.  She saw a hitchhiker on the side of the road and immediately pulled over.  She told him, “I will give you a lift if you drive the car.”  I guffaw every time I think about this scenario.  I can only laugh because she is still alive and the hitchhiker she picked up turned out to be a lovely man and even invited her to have dinner with his family.  

So here we are on that same road only now it is paved and has guardrails, which helps, but it is terribly steep and it was raining.  Gayle got lightheaded.  Luckily, I was the one driving.  When she wasn’t reminding herself to breathe, she took this photo of the navigation screen.

We made one stop along the Cardrona  Valley Road at the Bra Fence.  Back in 1998 people passing by began to leave bras on a fence in Cardrona.  Eventually the number of bras grew to hundreds.  It became a tourist attraction, which delighted some residents and embarrassed others.  When it was discovered that the fence was actually on a public road reserve the local Council deemed the bra fence a traffic hazard and eyesore and ordered the bras removed.

In 2014, a local couple decided to take guardianship of the fence and shifted it to their private driveway, about 100 meters from where it was originally.  A pink sign and a collection box were installed for help raise funds for the New Zealand Breast Cancer Foundation.  The bra fence is now called “Bradrona”. They have raised over $180,000.  

Since Gayle and I are on our “We Survived Breast Cancer Treatment” trip we had to stop.  Gayle had brought a bra to add to the fence.  I threw all my bras away after I had a double mastectomy. 

We made it to Queenstown and checked into the luxury hotel, which will be our home for the next five nights. We have a two bedroom, two bathroom lake view apartment.  It really is lovely, with heated floors and our own washer and dryer. 

We relaxed for a brief time before we called an Uber and went to the Skyline gondolas.  We have a reservation to eat at the Stratosfare restaurant at the top of the hill.  It is so like us to meticulously plan our trips only to have rain ruin the views.  But we had already paid for this adventure.

Dinner was a huge buffet with everything from green lipped mussels to Waygu beef to sushi to Yorkshire pudding to passion fruit panna cotta.  The view was truly amazing.

After we had been there for an hour the manager came over to inform us that we were allowed 90 minutes in the restaurant and we had a half hour left.  We already knew that and weren’t planning to stay past our allotted time, but because she gave us a half hour warning, we made sure to use up all 90 minutes of our time.  Gayle is more of a rebel than I am.  I think she wanted to stay until they escorted us out.  It was dusk when we left the restaurant.

We took our Uber home and prepared ourselves for our 7:20 a.m. pick up tomorrow for Milford Sound.

Aoraki (Mt. Cook)

We woke up just before the sunrise this morning.  I can’t imagine that you can sleep in very late in a glass house.  

I didn’t sleep well last night.  I love Skyscape.  However, it does have one disadvantage for a person like me.  It runs off solar, which I love.  However, it only has one outlet and it is in the kitchenette for the toaster.  There are instructions not to run the air conditioner at night when there is no sun.  I use a cpap machine at night for my sleep apnea.  There was no way for me to use my machine here.  Gayle assured me that she would not be disturbed by my snoring.  That was one of my worries.  The other worry is that when you have sleep apnea you wake up over and over again, never falling into REM sleep. That is the kind of night I had.  I was glad when the sun came up.  I will have one more night without a cpap machine.  

The options for coffee at Skyscape are instant (which is a definite no for Gayle) or French Press.  I obviously didn’t know what I was doing and I made us some weak ass brown stuff.  We knew that our first stop today would be somewhere we could get flat whites.  It didn’t take us long to get ready because there is no blow dryer at Skyscape.  You can’t be a princess here.  They did leave us good food for breakfast:  honey, yogurt, granola, bananas, and orange juice.

We headed out around 10 a.m. The weather app said it would be just above 30F at our destination.  We brought multiple layers with us.  Our first stop was the  Musterer’s Hut Cafe.  Armed with caffeine we headed toward Aoraki in hopes that she/he would pop out her/his head today. There were several scenic viewpoints along the way and, of course, we got out and took more photos of this beautiful turquoise lake, but we were unsure of where we should look to see Aoraki.

Aoraki is the tallest mountain in New Zealand at a height of 12,218 ft., thus making it a favorite destination for many, especially mountaineers.  There is a visitor Centre at the end of the road that features a museum named for Sir Edmund Hillary.  Hillary climbed Aoraki in 1948, fifty four years after the first recorded ascent by three New Zealanders, who do not have a museum named after them.  

The drive up to the visitor center takes about an hour from Twizel.  The road was nothing like the twisty roads to Akaroa.  It is a straight shot.  There are several one lane bridges over braided rivers.  

As we neared our destination it began to spit rain and then tiny flecks of snow.  Parking was a bit of nightmare but we were steadfast in wanting to find something within a short walking distance.  Gayle had sent to New Zealand before our trip for a handicap placard for the car.

We did a cursory tour of the Hillary museum and the Visitor Centre.  Gayle got a hat for her husband.  I asked at the information desk how to tell which mountain was Aoraki.  I was told it was the peak completely hidden by clouds behind the one whose base we could barely make out.  

With no mountain to gawk at we opted for lunch in the Hermitage Hotel cafe.  As we were eating our fish and chips I spotted a couple I know from the US from Song and Story Fest.  They were as surprised to see me as I was to see them.

Since we couldn’t see what we came here to see we headed back to Skyscape.  Afternoon naps sounded luscious.  When we left this morning we had closed every blind in the place so that the sun could not turn our little heaven into a greenhouse.  It was still quite warm when we arrived.  We both napped in spite of the sun beating in around the blinds.  Skyscape is best between 4 p.m. and 10 a.m.

Our dinner was the leftovers from last night’s platters of food.  Shortly after the sun went down we turned off all the lights and spent a glorious hour identifying the stars above us.  The Milky Way was in full display.  Orion was close to the horizon.  We located the Southern Cross.  We moved all around the room checking out what we could enjoy from every vantage point.  We tried to take photos to capture the wonder of what we were seeing, but it wasn’t possible with our iPhone cameras.

We crawled in bed by 9 p.m.  Tomorrow we leave for Queenstown.

Headed to Skyscape

When Gayle and I started seriously planning this trip I told her I had found a place I wanted to stay on the South Island called Skyscape. (Actually we remember this differently.  She thinks she found Skyscape and I think I found Skyscape.  We have agreed to let each other believe their own story.)  Skyscape has a king bed, kitchenette and bathroom, all inside a small house with glass on the north, east and west sides.  The ceiling is also made of glass. Plus it is in the middle of nowhere so you can look out your glass ceiling at night and enjoy the stars.  I live in Los Angeles County.  It is rare indeed when I get to see stars.  Gayle lives on a farm in Kansas.  She gets to enjoy the night sky on a regular basis.  But she knows that the stars you see in the night sky here are different than the ones you get to see in Kansas.  She loved the idea.  So we planned our trip around being at Skyscape during a new moon so we could enjoy the night sky.

Today was the day…the day we headed for Skyscape near Twizel.  My friend, Jacki, recommended that we get an early start because there would be many sights to see along the way.  We had a long day yesterday but we were up early and checked out of the hotel by 7 a.m., each with a flat white in our hands.  We stopped at the Fairlie Bakehouse for a bite to eat, which repeatedly wins the award for best pie in New Zealand.  A pie in New Zealand is savory not sweet.  I got the steak and cheese pie and Gayle got the chicken pie.  I see why they win the award.  It was magnificent.

We stopped at Three Creeks in Burke’s Pass.  It seemed like a good place to stretch our legs.  We wondered past antiques and into the quirky gift shop.  We weren’t there long before we saw that they were selling Trump 2024 and MAGA paraphenalia.  We immediately walked back to our car. 

Not long after we left Burke’s Pass we turned the corner and there was an absolutely stunning view of  Lake Tekapo.  No photo can do justice to the turquoise of the lake and the stunning view of the Southern Alps (which extend almost the full length of the South Island).  

The Church of the Good Shepherd is situated on the shore of Lake Tekapo.  The church owns significant land around the building, which means that no other buildings are situated near it.  It is one of the most photographed buildings in New Zealand.  

Our next stop was the Dark Sky Project for a guided tour.  In case the rain that is promised for Twizel ruins our ability to see the night sky from our glass house we wanted to enjoy a simulated views of what we would have missed.  As I walked inside I wanted to change from my sunglasses to my prescription glasses but my glass case was not in my purse.  I searched the car to no avail.  I must have left them at Fairlie’s Bakehouse or they fell out of the car when I got out at Burke’s Pass or the Church of the Good Shepherd.  I was undone by the loss of my glasses. I was trying to pretend like I was not ruminating about it but Gayle knew I was worrying.

I tease my sister about leaving things behind while we are traveling.  I mean, I tease her a lot.  Here I had lost my glasses on the very night I wanted to study the night sky.  Gayle suggested we head back the way we came in search of my glasses.  I was still trying to pretend it wasn’t that big of a deal. “No, I still want to go on this tour,” I said.  We headed into the darkened theater to learn about the stars in the southern sky and how to locate them.  Mind you I was wearing sunglasses.  All of a sudden Gayle said, “I don’t have my phone.”  She left the theatre and returned four minutes later with her phone in hand.  What a pair we are!

Dark Sky Project is worth the stop.  We learned about the night sky and the Maori stories regarding the stars.  I enjoyed the room with the sun and Alpha Centauri.

I was fascinated with the concept that the reflection of the stars on the water tells the eels when to migrate.  It was demonstrated to us in another room by creating a pool of water on the floor.

The truth is that I was so overwrought about my glasses that I don’t remember much from this tour. After the tour we regrouped and made a plan.  We would head back to where we had parked at the Church of the Good Shepherd to see if they fell out of the car.  If they weren’t there we would call the places where we had stopped to see if someone had turned in my glasses.  As I got into the car I saw my glasses case in the pocket of the car door.  The color of the case matches the color of the door.  What a lot of energy I wasted worrying.  But it didn’t matter because relief flooded through me.  Gayle and I headed back inside to celebrate with mango milkshakes.  The view of Lake Tekapo and the mango milkshakes helped me enjoy the moment again.

Lake Pukaki was our next stop.  Another turquoise lake with a backdrop of the Southern Alps.  Gayle found a spot to sit and enjoy the wonder of this world.  New Zealand is one beautiful experience after another. 

Just up the road is the Visitor Centre for Lake Pukaki.  Inside is a beautiful glass area where you can sit and look out towards Aoraki (named Mt. Cook by the European settlers), which was cloud covered today.  The words on the window are, “If you must bow your head, then let it be to the lofty mountain, Aoraki.”  Gayle bowed her head.

The road to Skyscape is a gravel road leading to the middle of nowhere with horses and mountains providing the scenery.

Hidden among the landscape is our home for the next two nights.

We giggled when we entered.  It is perfect…even better than I imagined.   You can pull the blinds to blockout the sun or the prying eyes of any wildlife.  We opened all of them.  There is even a blind over the bed which is controlled by a remote.  We immediately pulled that blind back also.

I sat down next to the front window and blogged as it began to rain.

Dinner was waiting for us in the refrigerator.  Two large platters of cheese, crackers, bread, salami, salmon, vegetables, fruit, pistachios, chocolates, etc., etc.  We feasted.  Our weather apps said the rain would stop before 8 p.m. but it didn’t.  We will see no stars tonight.  I might be a tad bit disappointed but it is hard to regret anything about this place.  Plus, we are staying two nights.  Hopefully tomorrow will be cloudless. When we were done blogging we turned off all the lights and that is when we realized the stars were out, even on a rainy night.  We exclaimed and giggled; took photo after photo; and wondered if the sky would be even more glorious tomorrow night.

I lay in bed for a long time looking up through the glass ceiling to the twinkly lights above.

 

Akaroa

Gayle and I headed out at 9:30 a.m. (with our laundry in tow) to catch an Uber to the Ezi Rental Car company.  We will use this car for our grand adventure around the South Island.  

We were in our Toyota Rav 4 headed for a day trip to Akaroa by 10 a.m.  Akaroa is a tourist resort town on the Bay Peninsula, about 50 miles from Christchurch.  All the photos we saw of Akaroa were stunning and we knew we wanted to go.  We didn’t have any specific things to do, just beauty to see.  Gayle took the first driving stint.  Not far outside of Christchurch we came upon this fascinating square of trees on the hill, lovingly referred to as That Damn Square.

The road looks like a straight shot in that picture but soon after That Damn Square the road became extremely curvy, going up the side of one hill and then a steep turn down again.  It was challenging driving.  We stopped for a photo op once we saw the bay below us.  The bay is a gorgeous blue against the lush, green hills.  What we didn’t know at the time was that around every corner we would want to stop and take another photo.

Once we got down to sea level we stopped at Barry’s Bay Traditional Cheese shop.  We were desperately in need of a bathroom and something to drink.  We didn’t find a bathroom but we did taste some delicious cheese.

In desperate need of a bathroom we headed for Bully Hayes restaurant to eat lunch and avail ourselves of their restroom.  We were delighted to find a table with a bayside view.  Plus, the fish and chips were delicious.  Akaroa was just as beautiful as we heard it was.

After lunch we walked out onto the peer.

There were an abundance of King Shags (part of the cormorant family.)

A few blocks down from where we ate lunch is the Akaroa lighthouse. The lighthouse was staffed from 1880 to 1977 before it was replaced with an automatic light.  The lighthouse was then moved to Akaroa by a preservation group.  We stopped to get a photo.

I was followed around the lighthouse by a local woman who wanted to tell me about the dolphin excursion boat that wrecked this year, requiring the rescue of its 40 passengers.  Akaroa is the place to go if you want to see Hector’s dolphins.  They are the smallest dolphin species and endemic to the South Island.  As my new friend talked about the boat wreck two Hector’s dolphins swam by.  I only got a brief glimpse of two fins.  When I finally extricated myself from the woman she immediately found another willing, well maybe not willing, listener.  The site of the lighthouse is a truly lovely spot from which to admire the bay.

I had read about Onuku Marae and wanted to see it. A marae is a Maori building for sacred and community gatherings, often surrounded by a communal gathering space.  We drove down a very narrow, curvy road and found it.  I was amazed at how small it is.

On the way back to Akaroa we saw a little cemetery built on the side of a steep hill.  We pulled over.  Our grandfather was a sociologist/anthropologist and he liked to stop at cemeteries.  He said that you learned so much about a society by its cemetery.  This was a Catholic cemetery.

The sign at the cemetery said that the Dissenters’ cemetery was at the bottom of the hill.  I was fascinated by the use of the word “dissenters” and looked it up later.  I learned that the dissenters in the cemetery (at the bottom of the hill and behind a fence) were mainly Presbyterians.  As it turns out dissenters is just another name for Protestants….of course.  I’m glad I looked it up. 

I had read a blog the night before we drove over the Bay Peninsula that said the most scenic route to and from Akaroa is along Summit Road. I convinced Gayle it would be a great way to leave Akaroa and I would drive.  Gayle has a fear of heights.  A twisty mountain road brings her fear to the forefront.  I had no idea just how treacherous this road would feel.  The road was narrow, the curves intense and many of the curves had no guardrails or if they did they were broken wooden guardrails.  Gayle sat next to me reminding herself to breathe.  When I would apologize she would said, “This is good for me.”  The blog I read was correct.  The views were absolutely stunning.  We realized that Summit Road is so named because while you mostly look down on the bay at other times you see the ocean on the other side of the hill. Gayle did jump out of the car a few times and capture photos for us, which in no way can truly capture just how stunning it was.  She was so brave.

I did convince her to reenact Titanic for me.

On the hill above us there were people rock climbing.  I am guessing they do not have a fear of heights.

Another thing I had read about in the same blog that sent us down Summit Road was the Shamarra Alpaca Farm.  At 11, 1 and 4 you can tour their alpaca farm. Everyone I know who was cuddled an alpaca has loved it.  It was 3:15 by the time we ended our trek on Summit Road and the alpacas were just ahead.  I batted my little sister pleading eyes at Gayle.  Cuddling alpacas was not on her bucket list.  She lives on a farm.  But she saw how badly I wanted to go and said, “Let’s do it.”  We headed up the one way narrow road to the alpaca farm.  After strict instructions on approaching alpacas slowly from the front and petting their necks (not the top of their heads or flanks) our tour began by visiting “the boys” as the guide called them.  Male alpacas are friendlier and more willing to be touched and hugged.

I was in absolute heaven, although I admit I was very timid.  I didn’t want to be kicked and, at that point, had not yet learned that alpacas do not have upper teeth and therefore cannot bite you.

While most of the people on our tour chased the alpacas around trying to get the best cuddling photos, Gayle put down the seat on her cane and just sat nearby.  It wasn’t long before the whole herd had moved down to stand around the sane woman sitting quietly in their midst, demanding nothing of them.

Our next stop was the pen where the mothers and babies were grazing.

The final part of the tour (and my absolute favorite) was to feed the alpacas.  It was a hike on uneven ground to the feeding pen.  Gayle opted out.  We were each given a large bowl of food with another bowl on top to hide the food on the bottom of the bowl.  This trick was to keep us from being mauled by hungry alpacas.  You can feed them by hand or from the bowl.  I tried both ways.  I could have stayed there and fed alpacas for hours.

By the time we left there and headed back to Christchurch it was closing in on 5:30 p.m.  We still had a winding road to navigate and laundry to do.  I had researched and found a laundromat on the edge of Christchurch with easy parking.  My plan was that we would load the washing machines and then find a place to eat in the mall beside the laundromat.  We arrived at 6:30 p.m. and most of the mall was already closed.  We threw our laundry in the washing machines and drove around the corner in search of food.  All we could find was a Pizza Hut but it would have to do.  We took our personal pan pizzas back to laundromat.  When our clothes were mostly dry we headed back to the hotel.  We were spent.  Gayle finished drying her panties on what she deemed the underwear chair.  

The day was filled with beauty, just as we hoped. But we were completely spent.  We didn’t blog.  We crawled into bed and called it a day.