Kathy and her mom took a 21-day package Down Under Discovery tour, offering "some of the most breathtaking scenery in the world, cultural experiences, and the adventures of Australia’s and New Zealand’s cities." Below are Kathy's emails from the trip, compiled, edited, and updated with additional notes into a trip report.
We're here in New Zealand and having a great time!
The flight was long. The plane was full, and 12 hours of sitting up and trying to sleep is not the greatest. But it was a pretty good flight. We left LAX on Friday, 9/21 and crossed the International Date Line, so we arrived in New Zealand early Sunday morning, 9/23. It's now Monday, 9/24, after 6 p.m.
We are staying at a hotel in the tallest tower in the southern hemisphere. It's called Sky City (or something like that). The decor is modern and in my colors. For example, the bathroom is black, white, red, and blue. The hotel also boasts the tallest base jump on wires on the world. Our tour guide said she secretly signed us all up for that. ;-)
Last night we had a dinner up high in the tower with a magnificent panoramic view of Auckland. (You may remember the city name from the America's Cup races.) The gourmet welcome dinner was absolutely delicious and Mom and I very happily made pigs of ourselves.
This morning we had a delicious buffet breakfast at the hotel (~$21 if we had to pay for it, which we did not). Then we took a tour of the city of Auckland, visited Kelly Tarlton's Antarctic Encounter to see some cute little penguins, and then we took a ferry to Devonport and took a city tour there.
We decided to stay and shop in Devonport—Mom and I and our new friend Wilma—but quickly went through the shops and decided to take a walk. It began raining, and we had a great time being silly fools walking in the rain. Mom was wearing my hiking rain coat, Wilma was wearing a 96 cent poncho from Wal-Mart, and I was trying to keep an umbrella from turning inside out. We really had a great time, though! :o) We are now calling Wilma the bag lady. She took her poncho off for a while and when she put it back on, Mom and I nearly died laughing when Wilma said that she thought she'd put her bag on backwards. I guess we were all giddy. ;-)
I better get back to our room. (I'm in a convenience store a block or two away from the hotel.) Tomorrow we leave this hotel, and I've forgotten where we're going. We're having a great time, and I hope you're all doing well!
We've had a great day today. We visited the Waitomo Glowworm Caves and took a tour through the caves and took a dark, quiet boat ride to see the glow worms. There were so many little glow worms hanging from the ceilings that parts of the cave seemed like a planetarium. The limestone cave was impressive, but riding a boat was quite a different experience from Arizona caving! The Waikato region also had "Black Water Rafting" that sounded like it would be really fun when it gets warmer. It sounds like you ride an inner tube on the Waikato River that goes through the cave.
After the glow worm cave, we visited the Te Puia Geothermal Valley near Rotorua. We got to see local artisans working in workshops doing woodworking and weaving, and we also got to see the nocturnal and endangered Kiwi bird. Then we walked to see the thermal activity up closer, and one of the geysers decided to erupt, so that was really neat. I can't say I got any good photos. The cloudy day and clouds coming up from the water (it was steam) kind of blended together. The steam coming up everywhere and bubbling mud were very interesting and other-worldly.
And we just finished a delicious hangi dinner—cooked in an underground oven with hot rocks—with a Maori cultural show this evening. They got me up on the stage to learn how to do the poi dance. Needless to say, I didn't do well, and everyone told me how wonderful I was.
We are really enjoying ourselves and everyone on the tour. And we're going to weigh twice as much when we get back!
It has been quite cool here but not so much that we need any new clothes. Today we had rain again, but we were all better prepared. Wilma found her rain coat, so we couldn't call her the bag lady today.
Tomorrow we will be taking our first flight since we got here. We'll be flying to the south island—toward the South Pole—so Mom and I plan to dress warmer tomorrow. I'm glad I brought extra for Mom. Mom also bought me a soft wool undershirt today (we are in New Zealand, after all), so maybe I'll try that out tomorrow. We'll see. I still worry about wool but I haven't had problems with it lately.
I hope you're all doing well!
We've had another great day today. Our first stop today was at a nature preserve, Rainbow Springs, where we were lucky enough to see another Kiwi bird and other fish and animals.
After that, we drove through the endless green hills of the north island again and stopped to see a show at the Agrodome. Believe it or not, we really, really enjoyed a show about sheep! They showed us all the different types, how they shear them, and the dogs they use for herding. I forget the numbers, but I think it was on the order of 3000 sheep that one dog could handle. Of course, we didn't see that many. ;-)
Then we flew from Rotorua (on the north island) to Christchurch on the south island, and took another plane to here in Queenstown where we'll stay multiple nights. We flew past a volcano that had unexpectedly erupted last night. There was no smoke or redness left, but we could see the black streak of lava through the snow on one side of the mountain.
Queenstown is incredibly different from our other destinations here. It's quite the adventure town—and it is a town, not a city. We walked into our room and the view was so amazing that I just started taking pictures and didn't even notice the room. We are overlooking a beautiful lake with incredible snow capped mountains on the far side. Beautiful!
After I finished taking photos, Mom and I went to get a snack to eat because our dinner won't be till around 8 p.m. tonight. (It's 6:34 pm here now.) We will be taking a cable car (they call them gondolas here) up to the top of the mountain and having another panoramic view dinner. It is so beautiful here. I can't wait to see what it's like up there.
We've been pretty cool today, though, and it will probably be quite cool up there. Hopefully we won't be out in the cold long. Mom bought a fleece jacket today, and this morning we were wearing the hats and gloves I brought.
Tomorrow we have a long day planned. I was going to tell you what we're doing, but I forgot. I can't keep everything we're doing straight in my head till after we've done it. ;-)
I need to go collect Mom from the snack bar where we ate our afternoon snack. She decided to stay there and chat while I came to check my email. We need to get ourselves ready for our dinner up on the mountain.
Then, fly to Queenstown on New Zealand’s South Island for a visit to Fiordland National Park, New Zealand’s largest national park and a UNESCO World Heritage Park. Enjoy extraordinary scenic beauty as you cruise on Milford Sound and witness the sheer rock walls rising thousands of feet from the water’s depths.
Today we drove to Milford Sound in Fiordland, a World Heritage National Park, and took a lunch cruise and enjoyed the scenery. The drive was quite scenic, too, and we had some photo stops. (One stop, The Chasm, hints at great canyoneering potential in this country.) The black granite mountains here are so steep and majestic. I haven't really figured out how to make them look as spectacular in photos as they do in person. But we are still having a great time! :o)
And we're still eating way too much. I'm going to have to cut back since my jeans are getting too tight.
We didn't sign up for any trips tomorrow, so we plan to take it easy and walk around Queenstown a bit tomorrow. We also walked around a bit tonight and just got back to the hotel. Tomorrow evening we will be meeting up with our tour group at the wharf and taking a steamer across the lake to have dinner.
I think I'm too sleepy to think to say much more, so I'll sign out for today. I hope you're all doing great!
You also cruise Lake Wakatipu on a vintage steamship for dinner at Walter Peak.
Mom and I have had a laid back day today. Yesterday was a good but long day, so the timing for a lazy day was perfect. We got to sleep till 8 a.m. and then went to the breakfast buffet. After that, we walked along the lake we can see from our hotel window and went shopping in town. Mom got a scarf to bundle up with on the boat tonight, and we both got some soft merino wool undershirts (on sale, of course).
And we got some candy. Our guide, Judy, said that Hokey Pokey is a New Zealand favorite, so I've been trying the Hokey Pokey flavor of everything—ice cream, chocolate, etc.—and haven't been disappointed yet. New Zealand is famous for its honey. (I've forgotten the type. I think it starts with an m.) Hokey Pokey has pieces of the honey comb in it, or something like that. The chocolate I had today was a lot like malted milk balls.
Tonight our group meets at the wharf at 5:45 p.m. to take the TSS Earnslaw steamboat across the lake to have dinner at the Colonel's homestead. Judy told us to bundle up for the ride. Today the temperature outside was quite nice. Mom and I kept putting our jackets on and off all day. We started out with another sunny, cloudless day, but I can see some clouds now. Actually, I might have to stop and take a picture. The dark clouds behind the white snow capped mountains, with the beautiful trees in front of the lake, look nice. Apparently, we had exceptional weather for yesterday's trip. It usually rains for that trip, but we had a clear blue sky.
Tomorrow (Saturday) we leave our hotel here in Queenstown and drive to Christchurch, the "Garden City." Then on Sunday we fly to Australia.
Finish the New Zealand portion of your vacation by traveling to New
Zealand’s highest peak at Mount Cook National Park, then continue to
Christchurch for an overnight and sightseeing tour.
We had a great steamboat ride and dinner at the Colonel's homestead last night. The boat was 95 years old, if I remember correctly. I got a photo of someone shoveling coal into the furnace for real. The dinner was delicious, and they had Yorkshire pudding. :o)
After dinner we got to see another sheep shearing and dog demonstration. I think I'll miss the dry New Zealand sense of humor. The guy giving the demonstration would have us all listening carefully to learn something for real, and then we'd realize he was messing with us.
We had an early start today, so many of us were falling asleep on the bus. Last night's dinner was supposed to be a different day but got moved for some reason I can't remember.
This morning we drove from Queenstown to Mount Cook National Park. As we were driving there, we could see the mountain with clouds around it. However, by the time we got there, the clouds had closed in around it and we couldn't see it at all. It was very cold and windy there. I saw some climbers heading off with their ropes when we were driving to the visitor center, and there's a statue of Sir Edmund Hillary there. He apparently did training at Mount Cook.
The lake at the foot of the mountain was an incredible blue green color. Our coach driver (translation: bus driver) said that the color comes from the angle of our view and that it looks clear if you pour it in a glass and look at it from the side. He said that one stream—glacier runoff—that feeds into the lake looks the color and consistency of milk. Apparently the clouds today were making the water look even more blue green than usual.
Our major destination after that was Christchurch, NZ, which is where our hotel room is tonight. This is a pretty town with beautiful gardens. Our room overlooks a great old building. Hopefully we'll find out what it is on our city tour tomorrow morning. And around the corner is a beautiful old church.
Mom and I had dinner in an English pub a short distance from our hotel tonight. She had shepherd's pie with mushy peas and I had a chip butty—I think that's what it was called. It was sort of like a humongous French fry sandwich with gravy on the side for dipping (which I didn't eat). The serving sizes sure weren't English, though. We could have fed an army. Everyone on the trip is talking about how tight their clothes are getting. We have not been getting much exercise.
Tomorrow afternoon we will be flying internationally again. We'll be flying from here to Sydney and then to Melbourne. I'm not sure why we have to go through Sydney. But we'll have to say goodbye to New Zealand tomorrow. Everyone has been commenting on how nice and friendly everyone here is.
Fly across the
Tasman Sea to Melbourne, Australia, for three overnights and a
sightseeing tour including Fitzroy Gardens and one of Australia’s
leading opal companies.
We are at the airport in Sydney waiting for our flight to Melbourne, which will start boarding in about half an hour.
This morning we took a very nice tour of Christchurch, New Zealand. The original settlers there were affluent and were trying to make it look like England, and it shows. They have lots of nice looking old buildings and beautiful parks and gardens. We took a little walk in a place called Mona Vale where it's clear that the currently affluent residents live on the other side of the little river and have absolutely beautiful yards. We also visited a great museum, which included Antarctic expedition artifacts, among other things. And Mom and I wandered through a cute outdoor market near there, complete with sidewalk performers.
We'll be spending a lot of today flying and in airports. I still haven't figured out why we had to fly to Sydney before Melbourne.
We had a little meal on our first flight today, and I think we're having another little meal on the upcoming flight. The meals are small but not bad. Our tour guide, Judy, has arranged for me to get vegetarian meals. One of the meals on our flight from L.A. just happened to be vegetarian, so everything is working out well for me... except that we're eating way too much. ;-)
I think we'll be in Melbourne for three days. Mom and I opted to just take the included tours rather than pay extra for things that one or both of us didn't want to do. I imagine we'll do some shopping.
We're still having a great time. I suspect I'm up to around 900 or so photos and I have downloaded two cards to my iPod.
Poor Judy has to herd all us cats through multiple airports today. I don't envy her that part of her job. She cheerfully does a great job, though.
Yesterday night we were so tired that I never made it here to the Internet Cafe to send an update. The previous night we had been up late, and we had to get up early yesterday, so everyone was really tired. Some people had signed up for tours and didn't go on them because they were so tired. We went on the morning city sights tour and thoroughly enjoyed the architecture and gardens. Mom had planned to buy an opal here, but we both decided we'd rather spend the money elsewhere. ;-)
Mom and I hadn't signed up for the optional tram car lunch or penguin parade (afternoon) tour, and it was a good thing. Neither one of us would have been able to stay awake if we had to sit, so we strolled around Melbourne near our hotel and enjoyed ourselves. We got back to the room and I decided to take a nap before sending an email. However, when I woke up hours later, I knew I wouldn't be able to get back to sleep if I went to play with a computer. I should have set an alarm for myself. I hope you didn't miss my daily email. ;-)
Part of our mission while we were walking around yesterday was to find a SIM card for Tim's GSM phone. I think it's safe to say that we're not going to find one that works. The first guy we went to tried one in our phone and expected it to work but it didn't. It was the same scenario as in New Zealand. The phone started up fine and appeared to be working but showed no signal bars. The second guy appeared to be more knowledgeable and was looking for frequency settings on the phone and such, but in the end he said that the phone appeared to be set up to receive a different signal than is used here now. He thought that maybe the hardware was outdated. I am pretty sure he was being truthful because we had told him we were only going to be here another week or so, and he said it probably wasn't worth getting their phone package for that length of time if I had some other way of contacting everyone.
Today we had a completely free day, so Mom and I both got caught up on our sleep. As usual, we had the included hotel breakfast buffet, which has been good everywhere we've been. Then we got directions to visit some gardens and art galleries and headed off on foot. We both have been thoroughly enjoying the mix of beautiful old buildings next to great contemporary architecture. I hope some of my photos turn out nice. That reminds me—I'll need to download to my iPod tonight since I'll probably need a new SD card tomorrow for photos.
We spent quite a bit of time at Federation Square and really enjoyed the great contemporary architecture and art galleries there—right next to the great old buildings. We had a nice lunch overlooking the Yarra River, and we were going to head for the Royal Botanical Gardens after that. But it was getting later in the day, Mom wanted to do some shopping (the stores close around 5:30 to 6:00 p.m.), and Mom's ankles have been swelling after long days of walking. So we've called it a day.
We are going to get our bags mostly packed tonight because tomorrow is our earliest departure yet. We leave the hotel at 7:15 a.m. Ugh. Also, we've gotten to the point where all the worn clothes are on the top and outnumber the clean clothes at the bottom of our bags, so it's time to rearrange everything. Tomorrow we fly to the Outback!
Next, fly to Alice Springs to learn about life
in the Outback and experience an Aboriginal Dreamtime Tour before
traveling to fascinating Ayers Rock. A highlight of your Outback tour
is the opportunity to ride a camel to watch the sunrise at Ayers Rock.
After free time and a tour around the base of Uluru to learn about its
significance in Aboriginal “Dreamtime” mythology, fly to Cairns for the
highlight of your vacation—a full-day excursion to the Great Barrier
Reef!
I missed another day of email yesterday. We got back from the Outback barbecue late and had to catch another plane today.
We spent yesterday in the small town of Alice Springs. We visited the old telegraph station and learned how difficult life was in such a remote place. We visited the Royal Flying Doctor Service, took a tour, and bought some souvenirs to support this worthwhile cause. Mom and I each got a fly net hood, since our guide, Judy, had thankfully warned us we'd want them in the Outback. (The flies didn't bite but were annoying enough for the nets to get used.)
I also rode on a camel's back. Settlers imported camels to the hot, dry Outback and the camels thrived, so you can see wild camels during the day and wallabies and kangaroos at night. The camel I rode had a saddle and was quite tame, though. ;-)
In the evening we went to a great outdoor barbecue in an old quarry area. They told us stories, played guitar and sang, cooked us dinner, including a barbecue bread making demonstration (handfuls of flour, some water, and some salt) and Billy Tea. They taught us about aboriginal people, boomerangs, and the stars (although the Southern Cross had already set). We really had a great time and once again made pigs of ourselves, while a couple kangaroos watched us from up on a hill.
We flew out of Alice Springs this morning and came here to Uluru—or Ayers Rock. We had champagne, cheese, snacks, and orange juice at sunset and I took a bunch of pictures of the big, lonely rock but it turned out to be a pretty gray view. So you'll have to settle for professional photographs. ;-)
We went on an Aboriginal Dreamtime Tour and learned interesting things about the aboriginal people, and Mom bought me a painting for our house redecorating project. Mom bought direct from the artist. Several aboriginal ladies were sitting out in the open on blankets, painting and displaying paintings using rocks to hold down the corners. We got a much, much better deal than we saw in any store.
Some of our tour group tasted kangaroo tail and witchetty grubs—fresh from a piece of Witchetty bush.
Tomorrow we visit Ayers Rock again in the morning and then fly to Cairnes (pronounced Cans). It has been quite warm and dry here in the Outback—Alice Springs and Ayers Rock are in the center of Australia. Tomorrow it will be warm and humid in Cairnes—gateway to the Great Barrier Reef.
The Great Barrier Reef is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the
World. Take a cruise to Green Island, one of the many tropical islands
on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. Here, you have the opportunity to
snorkel, take a glass-bottom boat tour, or walk through the cool
rainforest. Back in Cairns, visit a Wildlife Park for a chance to meet
Australia’s native animals and to take your picture with a koala.
Yesterday was another late night so I didn't send an email. We visited Ayers Rock and the Olgas, which is another lone rock formation near Ayers Rock, in the morning and flew to Cairns in the afternoon. We're on the 10th floor in the hotel and have a nice view. Yesterday evening we went to an enjoyable aboriginal culture show and buffet at Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park. Some thought that was the best buffet we've been to yet.
Have I mentioned pumpkin soup yet? Just about every dinner we've had that included soup has had some form of pumpkin soup. I didn't know I liked it, because I'm not real big on pumpkin pie, but I've been enjoying all the soup.
Today we walked 5 minutes from our hotel and took a catamaran out to Green Island and then took a glass bottom boat ride to get a look at a bit of the Great Barrier Reef. We had a very nice time. For the most part, it doesn't look as colorful as what you see in photographs and movies. Our boat driver said that it was partially because of the shading of the boat and also that those great colorful photographs are usually taken at night. I took some photos, but I suspect they will be pretty boring. While we were waiting for our ride from the island back to Cairns and looking down at people snorkeling around the wharf, we saw big beautiful bright blue fish with brilliant purple on their heads.
I took a motion sickness pill (thanks, Steve!) and so I felt fine for the boat rides. However, this afternoon I turned into a zombie and nothing, not even walking, could help me keep my eyes open, so I had to take a nap. Mom took this opportunity to go to the casino across the street from the hotel. She said that she just needs to get it out of her system... yeah, right... like that's ever going to happen. ;-)
Mom stayed at the casino this afternoon while I napped a couple hours. She came back to the hotel with some dinner for us and we went out shopping and walking after that. She is back at the casino now (9 p.m.) while I take care of my email.
Tomorrow we have a free day, so I imagine we'll go exploring around Cairns.
We're doing great! I hope you're all doing well, too!
Today was a free day in Cairns, and Mom and I went for a walk along the Boardwalk right around the corner from our hotel. There were lots of kids playing in the water fountains there (made for kids to play in), and lots of birds on the mud flats between the boardwalk and the ocean. Then we walked to a shopping mall (similar to ours in the U.S.), and then walked back through souvenir shops and such.
We needed to get some more Australian dollars and the casino has the best exchange rate, so we had a late lunch there and exchanged some money. We thought we'd go to the rain forest in the dome but found out that it is a zoo and costs $22 per adult, so we changed our minds. Mom asked if she could gamble again, so I said I'd send you an email and wait in our room since we only brought one room key out with us. Most of the hotels here have a power saver "feature" that requires the room key. We've been leaving one key in the room to keep the power going to charge my batteries and such, but I wasn't charging anything today.
Tomorrow we leave for Sydney, and we'll be visiting a zoo there, so we'll finally get a better look at some of the Australia wildlife—other than witchetty grubs—there. ;-)
Finally, travel to the beautiful city of Sydney for a tour of the
Sydney Opera House, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and a cruise on
Sydney Harbour. Throughout your trip, you have plenty of leisure time,
especially in Melbourne, Cairns, and Sydney, to explore on your own or
to join optional tours.
Today we had the morning in Cairns, so Mom and I did a bit of walking near our hotel. Then we left the hotel around noon and flew to Sydney. It was sunny, warm, and humid in Cairns and cloudy, gray, and a little cooler here in Sydney.
Mom and I wore our light fleece to walk around and find an interesting place for dinner. From our hotel, it was just a short walk to see the Sydney Opera House and what must be the Sydney Harbor Bridge. I think we will be seeing them on our tour tomorrow. It sounds like we're packing in a lot of good stuff tomorrow, including visiting a zoo.
Sydney is our last tour destination. We have done a lot of unpacking, packing, and flying this trip, but I'm not ready to leave yet. Some people have said they are having fun but are ready to go home. I say it's too bad we can't all be rich and live like this all the time. ;-) However, I do need to get home and exercise before none of my clothes fit. Thank goodness I brought some stretchy jeans. ;-)
Let's see... It's 8:43 p.m. on Monday here now. Tuesday we have our Sydney tour. Wednesday is a free day. And Thursday we fly—and arrive—home. I'm not looking forward to the long flight, but it will be nice to see you all again. :o)
A special farewell dinner overlooking Sydney Harbour, Sydney Opera House, and Harbour Bridge is the perfect finale for your amazing South Pacific vacation highlighting Australia and New Zealand.
Sorry I didn't send an email yesterday. Mom and I were out late and had a great time. We had a great day and had a tour group photo, visited the Taronga Zoo, took a lunch cruise by the Sydney Opera House, took a tour inside the opera house, and had a Bondi Lifesaving Club tour. Then Mom and I walked on our own to Darling Harbor for dinner and great fun taking night photos.
Mom and I slept in till 8 a.m. today and spent the day walking around Sydney and shopping. Mom bought me a very pretty pink skirt to wear to tonight's farewell dinner. I'll be able to use it for traveling since the fabric looks good wrinkled.
We had a very nice farewell dinner tonight. We had several tables at a nice restaurant overlooking the harbor with a view of the Sydney Opera house. Each table sat six people, and Mom and I sat with the only four non-American people on our trip (other than Judy, who is a “Sydneysider”). They were from Lithuania and kept mostly to themselves for most of the trip because they didn't speak much English. We had a real nice time talking with them, though.
I only have one minute left. It's 9:49 p.m., and we leave at 7:30 a.m. tomorrow.