Tag: Lake Te Anau

An Odyssey Down Under: Australia and New Zealand Day 12

Monday, February 17th

Today consisted of a bus ride, boat ride, then bus, then boat, bus, boat and then bus ride to Queenstown to finish our day!  We drove around Lake Te Anau on our coach to arrive at Lake Manapouri.  Here we boarded a boat to cross the lake.

After crossing Lake Manapouri we boarded a bus to take us over Wilmot Pass, part of Fiordland National Park to the boat landing to explore Doubtful Sound which is only accessible by boat.  Our original itinerary was to visit Milford Sound but due to recent flooding the road leading into the Sound was damaged.  Our trip leader and our site coordinator told us that we were lucky to be seeing Doubtful Sound instead.  They both felt is was better.  Doubtful Sound is bigger and quieter than Milford Sound.  It is also the deepest and second longest of the South Island’s fiords.

We enjoyed many waterfalls on our cruise through the Sound.  Below are just a few!

At one point during our time on the Sound, the Captain turned off the boat’s engines and we enjoyed several minutes of silence.  It was incredible.

IMG_0092
Inside the cabin you could follow along where our boat was traveling.

It was an overcast day but the views were astounding!

We traveled along and saw where some seals were resting near Doubtful Sound’s opening into the Tasman Sea.

Fur Seals
Opening to the Tasman Sea.

We returned to the bus when finished with our exploration of Doubtful Sound.  Our bus driver had to maneuver around work crews clearing where they have had a landslide of boulders as we go across Wilmot Pass.

We stopped at the top of the Pass at a lookout area to view one last time Doubtful Sound.

Along our bus ride you could see some snow in the mountains!

When we got back to Lake Manapouri, we boarded the boat again to cross the lake.

Lake Manapouri

After crossing the lake we boarded our coach for our ride to Queenstown which is located by Lake Wakatipu.

Lake Wakatipu
The view of the lake from our room!

This evening we had dinner at the restaurant atop Bob’s Peak.  We rode a gondola car up to the top of Bob’s Peak.

We had spectacular views of Coronet Peak, The Remarkables mountain range, and Queenstown.

We sat on our balcony and watched a glorious sunset!

 

An Odyssey Down Under: Australia and New Zealand Day 11

Sunday, February 16th

Today began with “Breakfast with the Penguins” at the International Antarctic Centre.

We were able to visit before the centre opened to the public.  We were the only group of  visitors touring the facility!  Our breakfast was in front of the glass enclosure for the Little Blue penguins.  During breakfast our docent presented a slideshow/talk about the centre and her journeys to Antarctica.  It was interesting to hear about how the centre participates in the research base for the United States, New Zealand, Italy and South Korea.  Christchurch is the closest mainland city to getting to Antarctica.

The International Antarctic Centre offers experiences similar to actually visiting Antarctica.  We had the option of dressing accordingly and go into the Storm room.  It is chilled to -8 degrees Celsius (about 18 degrees Fahrenheit) and a wind chill machine that drops it to -18 degrees Celsius (about -.04 degrees Fahrenheit).

A live Antarctica webcam.
Adding extra layers before entering the Antarctic Storm.
Exploring the room before the storm begins.
Dave in his extra gear!
The storm has begun and the wind is blowing and the temperature is dropping.

We also saw a 4D theater show film called “Ice Voyage”.  It takes you on a trip to Antarctica!  You experience wind, snow, water spray, motion action seats and other effects.  Having been to Antarctica, we enjoyed the film and the expedition company used in the film was the same one that we were on when we went!

We went to the airport for our flight to Invercargill!

After arriving, we stopped for a lecture from a local expert who explained about Southland and its agricultural importance to New Zealand.

Our motorcoach then headed to Te Anau which is located on the eastern shore of Lake Te Anau.  The lake is the second largest in New Zealand.  On our way there we had a comfort stop at McCracken’s Rest.  It is a beautiful lookout over Te Waewae Bay.

Upon arrival and check in to our hotel, we spent time doing laundry and then walked along the lake and into the city.  We are staying here because it is located by Fiordland National Park and our destination tomorrow!

Lake TeAnau
Takahe statue near the waterfront.