Total Air Miles

By popular request - I was asked how many miles were traveled in the
air. 24,305. The sad fact is
that American Airlines only awards half the miles for group bookings.

We're in Detroit - What did I like Best

Oh my! It's cold out here! We arrived in Detroit a few minutes ago and
have boarded the bus that will take us back to St. Gerard's Church.

Almost anyone I asked said I would like New Zealand best. I can't say
I did. New Zealand was so majestic, but Australia was so diverse. I
thoroughly enjoyed both and am at a loss to choose the better of
either. It was simply a fantastic vacation - a vacation of a lifetime.
Thank you for joining me on our adventure.

Ann

Steps For Our Trip

I suppose only the very analytic or partially crazy ever record all
their steps on vacation, but Tom and I have recorded our steps
averaging 8,225 steps (3.6 miles) per day. That count includes several days
dedicated to flying and days of walking in 120 degree heat. The low
count for a day was 4,733 (2 miles) and the high count was 15,297 steps (6.8 miles). The high
count was achieved in Sydney when we visited the Opera House and
walked down to Darling Harbor.

Back in Los Angeles

We left Fiji last night (but also this night) at 10 pm. So Gavin we
remembered you in Fiji as you turned 8 years old and then when we
landed at noon in Los Angeles today (also your birthday) we
technically flew in minus 14 hours. Did you get that?

I had some terrific news today when my daughter Amanda found out she
passed her oral boards for general surgery on Tuesday in New Orleans.
She had already passed her written boards so now she is a certified
general surgeon. She has signed a contract to practice as a breast
surgeon at Holy Redeemer near Philadelphia where she will practice in
August after completing her fellowship in breast surgery in Los
Angeles. I was able to celebrate a little with her when she she
picked me up at LAX for dinner during our 12 hour layover. I am very
proud of Amanda and am amazed at all the hard work she has dedicated
to her profession.

Sent from my iPhone

Orchids at sleeping Giant Farden

We visited the Sleeping Giant Garden and saw an amazing collection of
orchids and other tropical flowers. This garden was created by Raymond
Burr (Perry Mason, Ironsides) and he left it in trust for the Society
of the Blind in Fiji.

Lynn and Skip Relaxing

Lynn and Skip are taking a few moments to relax at a beautiful
overview of Fiji Island with the Pacific Ocean in the background.

Just a few words about our agent Lynn and her husband Skip (aka
George, Stu, Chip, Skippy). It is so relaxing on a vacation with Lynn
because she handles all the worries. We just go where she directs; she
does the figuring and we just have fun. She also tries to make sure we
get the best value for the money. The team of Jim from Colette and
Lynn was totally amazing. I suppose that is why so many people sign up
for trips with Fuller Travel. This may sound like an advertisement but
she is the best at what she does.

Kava Time

Barb was one of our guinea pigs trying kava. She said it was earthy
tasting and left a tingle on her tongue. It is supposed to be relaxing
but she probably did not drink enough to achieve extra relaxation - if
course this vacation was relaxing by itself!

Kava

Our guide Lidia is in red. Her voice was melodic - always a joy to
hear (even when we didn't understand her). Some key words in Fiji were
Bula (for hello or a greeting) and vinaka (thank you).

On the right is a person at the market showing us how to prepare kava
a traditional marriage preparation or welcoming drink.

Music in Fiji

We were treated to music throughout the Sofitel Resort. There was
always someone singing at the breakfast buffet and pretty much any
corner you turned you could find more singing.

Christmas Tree

This tree is called a Christmas Tree because it comes into bloom right
around Christmas. These trees are also prevalent in New Zealand.

Sofitel Resort

This is a view of the chain of pools available at Sofitel Resort in Fiji.

Hard Rock Cafe

We ate lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe in Fiji today. This is the second
Hard Rock Cafe we visited; the first was in Sydney.

There are 330 islands in Fuji and we are on Denarau Island which is
close to Nadi.

This is the relaxing part of our vacation.

Red Sky at Night

As we were finishing dinner, I looked to the west to see a beautiful
sunset. It's been somewhat overcast today, so the red sky at night was
quite promising. My father always told me "red sky at night sailors
delight".

We were told that summer weather here averages 88 degrees and winter
weather averages 84 degrees. Now that is not too hard to take.

Fiji Dinner

We flew today from Christchurch New Zealand through Aukland New
Zealand to Nadi Fiji. Pictured under a thatched roof are many of those
who added the option to go to Fiji.

Riccarton House and Bush

We visited the Riccarton House and Bush (forest) tonight. We listened
to a story about how a man and his brother moved from Scotland to
claim land that did not work out for them in Northern New Zealand and
they ended up claiming land in the Christchurch area. One brother soon
died and the second brother built his fortune and ten years later
married his sweetheart in Scotland (a 4 month ride) And brought her to
New Zealand. Eventually they had 36 square miles of property and you
can see from the picture that they built a very large home. We ate a
tasty dinner on the property.

Antarctica 2

This picture contains typical gear for Antarctica.

Antarctica Centre

We left Mt Cook this morning and stopped at an old farm and once again
saw a sheep sheared. Then when we got to Christchurch, we visited the
Antarctica Centre. 70% of those who go to Antarctica go through New
Zealand. We learned quite a bit by visiting the Centre. In the
picture Marv, Barb, Tom and Ann are experiencing the darkened feeling
just after the picture was taken. We also experienced the cold and
strong winds. This occurred for less than 5 minutes and we knew we
would be experiencing similar weather in a few days in Michigan!
We also saw a 4D movie that allowed the usual 3D effect with penguins
and seals up close with our boat clipping the side of icebergs. The
extra D involved the wind actually hitting us, water was sprayed on us
at times, and we were sometimes rocked in our chairs. It was pretty
cool. There were penguins to watch. There were also many educational
facts about Antarctica.

Mt. Cook

Mt. Cook us the highest peak in New Zealand. It is in the distance and
is the mountain covered with snow.

On our Way to Mt Cook

A panoramic view as we approach Mt. Cook.

Arrowtown

Tom and Marv are taking a break as we visit in Arrowtown - this one is
for you Roy!

The Show at the Lady of the Lake Cruise

The show was two displays. The first showed a dog herding sheep. The
dog had given birth to 9 puppies just 7 days ago - 3 puppies are shown
in the picture. Bessie, the dog did an excellent job keeping the sheep
in line. The second display was the owner sheering a sheep; I think
(not actually timed) he completely sheered the sheep in less than 2
minutes.

Lady of the Lake Dinner

We ate dinner at a very elegant place. The food was a wonderful
buffet. Since we are in Bew Zealand it included the traditional lamb
and pavlova for desert. However most preferred the sticky date
pudding.

Lady of the Lake River Cruise

Last night we took the TSS Earnslaw to the Walterpeak Sheep Farm to
have dinner and a show. The TSS Earnslaw, a steam engine, was first
launched in 1912. It certainly blew a lot of black smoke.

Looking Over Queenstown

I'm hoping this panorama picture will come through for you. I took it
when out on the 4x4.

Middle of the Earth

We visited the rural area around Queenstown in a 4x4. We went up
hills, down hills, around curves, over bumps, through water, and just
about anywhere for an exciting adventure.

Back on Land in Queenstown

Now that was a beautiful and exciting plane trip. There were times
that it seemed the wing of the plane wasn't much more than 15 feet
from the mountain and the wind was pretty strong coming out of Milford
Sound. But here we are safe and sound on the ground thinking about the
beautiful world God has given us. Much of the land we saw was
untouched by human and animal.

Lake Wakatipu

Flying into Lake Wakatipu; Queenstown is built on the edge if Lake Wakatipu.

Enjoying the Ride

Tom and I are having a great time in the last seat of an 8 seat plane.

Glacier Lake

Below the plane is a lake formed from a glacier. Notice the waterfall
coming off of the lake.

Lakes Chaining

One of the lake systems up in the mountains.

Up up and Away from Milford Sound

The top of a mountain.

Milford Sound by Plane

We took a small plane from Milford Sound to Queenstown. This gave us
an entirely different view of Milford Sound and all the mountains
between Milford Sound and Queenstown. This is a picture of Milford
Sound as we were leaving Miilford Sound.

Milford Sound

This is Milford Sound. It is so majestic!

Milford Sound on a Boat

Lynn, Skip and Tom are on the deck of the boat in Milford Sound that
is actually a fjord because it was formed from a glacier. Did you see
the waterfall in the background.?

A Beautiful View with Gary and Carol

Another great view on the way to Milford Sound with Gary and Carol.

Mirror Lake

This is Mirror Lake which seems to be a perfect reflection.

Streams Rushing Quickly

The water is gushing down from the mountains.

On to Milford Sound

We are on our way to Milford Sound. I will be showing pictures today
more than writing as a picture us worth at least a thousand words.

Maori People

The Maori people were the first settlers in New Zealand. We attended a
show featuring Maori dances. It was pretty fun especially when Roy was
named our chief.

Gibbston Valley Winery

Linda is enjoying a taste of wine at Gibbston Valley Winery. The
Winery had their first planting in 1984 when no one thought the area
could support grape growing. It is still a small business but it is
winning awards for it's Pinot Noir. 80% of the winery's production is
Pinot Noir. I couldn't help but think of my daughter Amanda who often
favors Pinot Noir. By the way she is soon taking her oral boards for
general surgery; say a prayer for her.

Lake Hawea

Lake Hawea also had stunning view.

Lake Wanaka

Lake Wanaka was breathtaking with a beautiful blue and mountains in
the background.

Gorgeous Scenery on the Way to Queenstown

We had wonderful scenery on the way to Queensland. We saw many
waterfalls. The land changed from rainforest to dryer. In this picture
you see a very long waterfall.

Franz Josef Glacier

We took a 3 mile walk (1.5 mile each way) to get a closer view of the
Franz Josef Glacier.

Our Guide

Jim Eldridge is our Collette guide through Australia and New Zealand.
He has been giving us tips that make a much better trip. For instance
he told us how to stake out the top area in the docking station by the
Great Barrier Reef for our entire group and it worked very well. He is
also making suggestions of where to buy what for the best prices or
where to get money for lower rates. We've comparison shopped and he is
right on every time. He's also quite funny and extremely knowledgable.
He has been traveling to Australia and New Zealand for more than 25
years. We feel extremely lucky that Papa Jim is our guide.

Hakitika Driftwood Competition

We stopped off for lunch in Hakitika, a town next to the Tasmanian
Bay.They were having a competition of driftwood creations; this is one
of my favorites.
We had a wonderful lunch of fish and chips; the fish was Rig and lunch
was served in newspaper. Pat, you would have loved this fried fish!
Jade is mined near Hakitika; it is Nephrite Jade.

Rail Trip in Southern Alps

Tom and I are well satisfied with our train trip through the Southern Alps.

Southern Alps 3

Another view in the Southern Alps.

Southern Alps 2

We took a trip by rail through the Southern Alps and we saw gorgeous views.

Southern Alps

We are leaving Christchurch and heading into the Southern Alps.

Pavlova for Desert

We were served Pavlova for desert; it was so beautiful and tasted
yummy. And then we retired to the living room for coffee, tea, and
chocolates with a lively conversation. Thr Rowes are well travelled.
They lived in Davis Ca for 4 yrs and Oregon after that. Richard likes
the Asian countries, especially China and Korea. They were originally
from Australia where they visit for a month every year.

Dinner with a New Zealand Family

We had dinner in a New Zealand home. It was the home of Professor
Richard and Barbara Rowe, a couple in their mid 70's. The dinner was
outstanding. For the first course we had a bed of greens from the Rowe
garden with small tomatoes, cucumber and pomegranate. We also had
salmon roulade. For the main course we had lamb with mont sauce,
roasted potatoes, roasted carrots and peas. Pictured is the main
course.

Cotswald Inn

We stayed in a cute hotel - Cotswald Inn - that had units that were in
an old English style. Very cute!

Earthquakes in Christchurch

We flew from Sydney to Christchurch very early this morning waking up
at 4am. Christchurch has experienced two recent earthquakes; the most
recent was in February 2011 leaving much damage that still remains
today and 180 lives lost. This is a picture of a church being restored
after the earthquake.