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| Sandy, Phil, Heather – Cobb Cottage |
Lunch Stop with Mountain View |
Kaikoura Seals |
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The following day we drove to Otahuna, a lovely historic accommodation, where after settling into our rooms, we went downstairs to enjoy pre-dinner drinks and canapés by the fire before a delicious meal.
Otahuna is like a breath of fresh air! The next morning was a crisp, clear day with bright sunshine and I had a quick lesson on natural horsemanship with resident horse whisperer, Kate Tapley. What a fabulous riding experience! I could have happily stayed there for the rest of my stay so it was with sadness, I had to bid farewell to Otahuna and its hospitable and fun staff. |
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| Riding at Otahona |
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Hire Car, Arthur’s Pass |
| Driving onwards, we headed in the direction of the magnificent snow capped Southern Alps to Arthur’s Pass. We spent the night in a cottage at Grasmere and also visited Wilderness Lodge before we continued to Punakaiki (pancake rocks) where the giant blowholes put on an amazing display for us! |
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| View from Wilderness Lodge |
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Lake Grasmere |
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| Punakaiki Rocks |
| Next, we drove south towards Franz Josef, past stunning coastal scenery. We stayed in the warm and cozy Westwood Lodge, only two minutes from the Franz Josef village and set among rural surrounds with views of the native rainforest and the Southern Alps. There is plenty to do in the area such as heli-hiking on Franz Josef Glacier, kayaking, jet boating, and visiting the White Heron Sanctuary. |
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| Fox Glacier |
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Water near Fox Glacier |
| The following morning, we drove further south, stopping briefly to have a quick look at the Fox Glacier before continuing inland towards Queenstown. At the Remarkables Lodge, we enjoyed a wonderful evening dining with our hosts and the other guests. Damien, the chef did an outstanding job and half way through dinner, he came to the table to greet us all and answer any questions about the meal and where the good ski areas were. |
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| Heather and Louise |
View from the Remarkables Mountain Range |
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We had a fabulous helicopter flight up to the top of the Remarkables Mountain Range the next day and then drove on to our next accommodation, Eichardts hotel. This luxurious, historic building sits right on the lakefront in the heart of Queenstown's café and restaurant area and to stay there is an outstanding experience!
Early the next morning, I said farewell to Heather and drove on to Te Anau where I settled into the Fiordland lodge, a lovely stone and wood lodge, set in a world heritage area with a fabulous view. Robynne and Ron Peacock own and run the lodge and are wonderful New Zealand characters. From here, I went on a day tour in the Milford Sound with Chris. Milford Sound is spectacular and Chris made the tour fun with his humor and astounding knowledge of the area! |
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| Milford Sound |
Chris making afternoon tea |
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| Milford – Lake Gunn and Lake Gun Forest |
Milford – Mirror Lakes |
| I then drove to Manapouri, to join the Doubtful Sound Cruise. It’s hard to find the words to fully describe just how awesome and spectacular Doubtful Sound is; you really have to see it for yourself. Despite it being a cold, cloudy day when I was there, I was still awed by this remote and imposing place which had a lasting impression on me! |
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| Doubtful Sound Cruise |
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The following day I had a lovely drive to Alexandra. The air was crisp, the sun shining and as usual the scenery spectacular. There are a lot of wineries in the area and I had a wonderful couple of days in Alexandra staying with old friends from Zimbabwe.
From Alexandra I drove back to Queenstown and flew to Wellington, on the North Island.
New Zealand - North Island
Colin collected me from the airport and took me on a whirl wind tour of Wellington, showing me the various studios where Lord of the Rings was filmed as well as the incredible Te Papa Museum.
I stayed at Wharekauhau, a lodge based on a 5000 acre working sheep station overlooking Palliser Bay, with guest accommodation in charming cottages. Each cottage has a king sized four poster canopied bed, open fireplace and a lovely bathroom. Dinner was excellent and the company a lot of fun.
I was then transported back to Wellington Airport via helicopter, where I caught my flight to Taupo. Our New Zealand agent met me and after lunch, she dropped me off for a 30 minute jet boat ride below the Huka Falls! This was great fun with lots of 360 spins and many seemingly narrow misses of various obstacles in the water but I was thankful Gina's car has heated seats, as I was quite wet and cold afterwards. |
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| Wharekauhau Heli Transfer |
Wharekauhau Cottages and View |
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| Huka Falls |
| We then made our way to Nicara Lodge which is set on the waterfront of Lake Rotorua. Here we attended a Mai Ora Evening, a song, dance and feast and a Maori Cultural Experience. The Maori dancing and singing was as incredible as the food delicious. All in all, I had a very entertaining evening! |
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| Rotorua - Mai Ora Evening |
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The following morning we visited Rainbow Springs, where there are a variety of New Zealand birds as well as trout to view, and Kiwi Encounter where we were able to see the brown North Island Kiwis. After looking around the Rotorua Museum, we drove to Peppers on the Point, an out of this world lodge in the most stunning location! We shared many a laugh with the manager during the course of our one night stay.
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| Rainbow Springs – Kea interested in Gina’s purse |
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Gina in cave at Pepper’s on the Point |
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Next, we drove north to beautiful Whitianga, a little slice of heaven! I spent the night at the Driftwood Lodge with lovely views of the bay and starry skies as breathtaking as any I have seen in Africa!
Damien of Johansen arrived the next morning to take me on a tour of the Coromandel Peninsula which boasts long, white, un-crowded beaches, but the highlight for me was a hike into the giant Kauri Forest. I was awed by this quite and spiritual place as Damien fascinated me with his extensive knowledge of the area and its native fauna and flora. |
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| Coromandel Peninsular |
Siamese Twin Kauri Tree |
Damien |
| Early the next morning Heather collected me to drive me to the Auckland airport. As we drove across the Coromandel Peninsula the sun was shining and reflecting off the mist swirling over the low lying lands. It was entrancing to watch. Yet another stunning moment in New Zealand which I will never forget! |
Australia
Sydney and the Blue Mountains
I flew from New Zealand to Sydney, where I stayed in a Park Hyatt room with wonderful views of the Opera house and the harbor. |
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| View from the Park Hyatt |
| The next morning, I toured the Blue Mountains, a pleasant change from the city with an enjoyable stop where I was able to wander amongst grey kangaroos, cockatoos and pink galas. |
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| Grey Kangaroo |
Cockatoo |
Pink Galas |
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| Blue Mountains |
Morning Tea |
Blue Mountains |
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The Top End
My next stop was Darwin where I was collected by Grant and driven to Kakadu National Park, stopping along the way for a Jumping Crocodile Cruise. Watching the large crocodiles leap from the water to grab at meat hung over the edge of the boat from a piece of rope was very entertaining! |
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Jumping Crocodiles
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White Bellied Sea Eagle
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Jabaru
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| The following morning, I visited Arnhemland, Ubirr and Oenpelli where I saw fascinating aboriginal rock art and enjoyed the fantastic view over the wetlands. |
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| Painting of a Sea Turtle |
Thomas |
Painting of Warriors |
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| Arnhemland |
| The highlight of my Kakadu stay, was the Yellow Waters Cruise, a boat trip which quietly meanders through the scenic wetlands where I saw abundant birds and many more crocodiles. |
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| Bird Life – Yellow Water Cruise |
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Kangaroo Island
My next stop was Lifetime Retreats on Kangaroo Island, an amazing resort with stunning views over the ocean, fabulous food and wonderful hosts. It was here I saw my first echidna, my second favorite Australian animal! |
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| The days were spent touring the island seeing the sights and finding koalas, fur seals, Sea Lions, wallabies, kangaroos and a couple of black cockatoos with Alf, a very knowledgeable guide with a great sense of humor! |
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| Remarkable Rocks |
Kangaroo |
Koala |
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| Sea Lions |
BBQ Lunch |
Echidna |
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Baird Bay
Following Kangaroo Island, I visited Baird Bay, a very comfortable lodge run by Trish and Alan Payne. Alan took me out on his boat where I got to swim with two sea lions frolicking around me. A spectacular experience, but the water was freezing!
My stay was completed with a fun evening spotlighting tour, finding Bettongs and Bilbys.
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| Baird Bay Boat |
Sea Lion |
Pelican |
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Angorichina
The drive to Angorichina was an entertaining insight into outback living as the cars driving in the opposite direction were often friends or relatives of our delightful hosts, Ian and Di. |
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| Euro Kangaroo |
Grey Kangaroo and Red Kangaroo |
Yellow Tailed Rock Wallaby |
| My days here were spent exploring the station, seeing Yellow tailed rock wallabies, lunching at the Prairie Hotel and on the final day, Ian flew me over the property and the stunning Flinders Rangers in his private plane. |
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| Di and Ian Fager |
Angorichina from the Air |
Prairie Hotel Sign |
| After a day spent shopping in Adelaide, it was time to leave Australia as my wonderful trip had come to an end! |
Email - info@safaridownunder.com