We're back in Albuquerque. Getting home was not without its adventures. Of course the weather was absolutely perfect the day we're leaving just for fate to give us a laugh.
I don't like to tempt the fates so I tend to get to airports on the early side. We arrived before our flight a couple of hours early around 10:30 AM. We find that the entire Air New Zealand international computer system has crashed and they are checking in all flights manually. It's chaos. We stand around for almost 2 hours while the time for our flight comes and goes before there is word of what our status is. Then we have to go to the international departures area to check in (fortunately we are on the ball and get into our queue early) and have to go back to the domestic terminal to catch the flight.
Except it is still an hour from arriving. But Air New Zealand has a lounge for members of the Star Alliance Gold which I qualify for because of my status on United Airlines. This lounge is good! Free food - real food. Free booze, beer, wine. internet. Finally our plane arrives and we are escorted from the lounge to the plane to board first - nice touch. Another piece of good luck - I have boarding passes I downloaded ages ago with bar codes and therefore I can actually get us on early and to our assigned seats.
We get into Aukland and we have to walk around a half a mile to get to the international terminal. We only have an hour and a half. Should be enough time. Not to worry. The flight to LA is 2 hours late. Problem - that is going to make us miss our connection in LA to Albuquerque.
We're waiting in the business class lounge (just as good again) and I notice on the flight board that our flight has a stop at some island in the Pacific before going on to LA. That hadn't shown up on any of the information that I'd gotten on the flight previously. There is also a direct flight that even with lateness will get us in with plenty of time. Wife asks if I will request them to change us which I do. The first answer is they can't do it because I'm flying on a United issued ticket. But then the guy says he'll check. Good news they can do it if they can pull our bags. Better news, they successfully pull our bags. Even better news, the flight we're on now has the fully reclining seats which the other did not.
Finally we go off. Not much to report other than it was a good flight and we had no further problems getting home. 26 hours later it feels great to be home again.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
NZ Photos - 11
Scenes on the Otago Peninsula
Scenes from the Penquin Sanctuary
Picture of a Nesting Penquin
(maybe you'll see if if you blow the picture up)
Wife will have much better ones she took with her telephoto lens
On the way back - another shot of a ranbow
This sign means -
"Please stoop over and walk with purpose when crossing?
Buildings in Oamaru
View of and from the High Road
This gives you and idea of the layout of seen from above.
Picture of a Nesting Penquin
(maybe you'll see if if you blow the picture up)
Wife will have much better ones she took with her telephoto lens
On the way back - another shot of a ranbow
This sign means -
"Please stoop over and walk with purpose when crossing?
The Moeraki Boulders
Buildings in Oamaru
Saturday, October 10, 2009
New Zealand 2009 - Tales of the Camera Sherpa - Part 17 & 18
Friday morning we awoke to cold and dark weather again. In fact it was the coldest to date with the high not getting above 44 degrees. There was also a cold wind off the ocean which made it seem even colder. We drove north from Dunedin on our way to Christchurch, our final destination. Our big event of the day was the stop and Fleur's Place that I wrote about last. We did stop at a place called the Moeraki Boulders which were these interesting perfectly round rocks on the coast line (resulting from a complex geologic process. But it was just too cold to spend too much time on the beach.
We also had a long drive to Christchurch. There was one other interesting site along the way, the town of Omauru which has some great late 19th century architecture. But the bulk of the drive was through the only boring countryside that we've run into in New Zealand. So at least if we were having the bad weather we weren't wasting the drive.
We stayed at another really great bed and breakfast located in hills just outside of the city. Though we didn't see it until late the next day, it had an awesome view of the city, the ocean, and the Southern Alps. We were the only guests and we sat and drank wine with the hosts for a number of hours before turning in.
On Saturday the morning broke with it still be cold and wet. We went into downtown Christchurch which has some nice buildings and a great botanical garden but it was too wet to walk the garden. After grabbing a bite from a street vendor, we decided to take our hosts advice a drive to a small coastal village about an hour and half out of the city. The drive was a bit harrowing because the 'National Cross Country Relay Championship' was taking place on the same road (a typically windy mountainous NZ road). So in addition to dealing with the normal narrow roads, tight turns, and no safety guards, we were dodging runners. Plus we had a yo-yo in front of us for about 20 kilometers who evidently was looking for a particular runner and would literally stop and swerve over each time we passed some one. Its considered polite here to let people by on the narrow roads if you're driving slowly. It escaped this fellow.
We finally made it to the town. I set Wife out for picture taking while settle down with a good NZ beer to recuperate from the stress of the drive. Our luck turned at this point. The bad weather blew out. The sky cleared and it got warm. Wife got pictures of a lighthouse something she had wanted the whole trip but had been unsuccessful in locating. On our drive back all the congestion was gone so the drive was much easier. Plus the sky was totally clear and for the very first time we caught the full horizon to horizon view of the Southern Alps climbing up from the eastern plains - breathtaking. No pictures. Too far away for our cameras.
The day ended with a fabulous meal (I will be making a separate foodie post for this) at a restaurant suggested by our host followed by more conversation and drinks with them.
Tomorrow, is the long flight home.
We also had a long drive to Christchurch. There was one other interesting site along the way, the town of Omauru which has some great late 19th century architecture. But the bulk of the drive was through the only boring countryside that we've run into in New Zealand. So at least if we were having the bad weather we weren't wasting the drive.
We stayed at another really great bed and breakfast located in hills just outside of the city. Though we didn't see it until late the next day, it had an awesome view of the city, the ocean, and the Southern Alps. We were the only guests and we sat and drank wine with the hosts for a number of hours before turning in.
On Saturday the morning broke with it still be cold and wet. We went into downtown Christchurch which has some nice buildings and a great botanical garden but it was too wet to walk the garden. After grabbing a bite from a street vendor, we decided to take our hosts advice a drive to a small coastal village about an hour and half out of the city. The drive was a bit harrowing because the 'National Cross Country Relay Championship' was taking place on the same road (a typically windy mountainous NZ road). So in addition to dealing with the normal narrow roads, tight turns, and no safety guards, we were dodging runners. Plus we had a yo-yo in front of us for about 20 kilometers who evidently was looking for a particular runner and would literally stop and swerve over each time we passed some one. Its considered polite here to let people by on the narrow roads if you're driving slowly. It escaped this fellow.
We finally made it to the town. I set Wife out for picture taking while settle down with a good NZ beer to recuperate from the stress of the drive. Our luck turned at this point. The bad weather blew out. The sky cleared and it got warm. Wife got pictures of a lighthouse something she had wanted the whole trip but had been unsuccessful in locating. On our drive back all the congestion was gone so the drive was much easier. Plus the sky was totally clear and for the very first time we caught the full horizon to horizon view of the Southern Alps climbing up from the eastern plains - breathtaking. No pictures. Too far away for our cameras.
The day ended with a fabulous meal (I will be making a separate foodie post for this) at a restaurant suggested by our host followed by more conversation and drinks with them.
Tomorrow, is the long flight home.
Friday, October 9, 2009
NZ Foodie Special Post
As mentioned previously this has not been a food oriented trip. However, we were recommended by three different sources in a two day period to try a particular fish restaurant that is on our way from Dunedin to Christchurch in a little fishing village named Moeraki. The name of the restaurant is Fleur's Place.
The location and look says nothing.
But you look at the menu and the board of specials.
All the fish is locally caught and sold almost immediately. Wife and I opted for a whole baked fish each. She had a fish called Gurnard and I had a sea bream (a type of flat fish. Each was extremely simply prepared with a simple sauce on the side. Fish that is of the freshest quality is beyond explanation. It is nothing like what one gets typically at a store. And whole fish takes that to another dimension. Yes you have to deal with the bones and skin but the succulence, juiciness, cleanness of flavor is unsurpassed.
The gurnard is a firm white fish.
The bream was almost buttery in flavor and texture.
What else can I say. It was great.
The location and look says nothing.
But you look at the menu and the board of specials.
All the fish is locally caught and sold almost immediately. Wife and I opted for a whole baked fish each. She had a fish called Gurnard and I had a sea bream (a type of flat fish. Each was extremely simply prepared with a simple sauce on the side. Fish that is of the freshest quality is beyond explanation. It is nothing like what one gets typically at a store. And whole fish takes that to another dimension. Yes you have to deal with the bones and skin but the succulence, juiciness, cleanness of flavor is unsurpassed.
The gurnard is a firm white fish.
The bream was almost buttery in flavor and texture.
What else can I say. It was great.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
NZ Photos - 10
Pictures from Arrowtown and Cromwell in Central Otago
Up the climb itself
With a fantastic view as a reward. There were also a symphony of birds singing and benches to sit on at the lookout point.
Scenes from our Early Morning Sunrise Photo Shoot at our B&B in Cromwell
Looking out from our B&B
Our B&B in the foreground with our trusty Toyota Corolla
This was one of the views from the patio of the winery where we had lunch. It is actually all man made from the high pressure water mining of gold done in the 1870's.
The symbol of the Town of Cromwell
Either they are an orchard town, or a major Fruit of the Looms manufacturing center
The innocuous description of the rather steep climb up Tobin's Track
Up the climb itself
With a fantastic view as a reward. There were also a symphony of birds singing and benches to sit on at the lookout point.
Scenes from our Early Morning Sunrise Photo Shoot at our B&B in Cromwell
Even though it was sunrise, we could see the nearly full moon setting
Looking out from our B&B
Our B&B in the foreground with our trusty Toyota Corolla
This was one of the views from the patio of the winery where we had lunch. It is actually all man made from the high pressure water mining of gold done in the 1870's.
The symbol of the Town of Cromwell
Either they are an orchard town, or a major Fruit of the Looms manufacturing center
New Zealand 2009 - Tales of the Camera Sherpa - Part 16
Our tale is almost done. Only a couple of days left. For Google mappers we drove today from Cromwell in Central Otago to Dunedin on the Otago coast and went for a drive up the Otago Peninsula just south of Dunedin.
Our string of nice days ended. It wasn't horrible but it was gray and overcast with drizzles and not too warm. The drive down was fairly uneventful and took most of the morning. We checked into our next bed and breakfast which is just on the base of the Otago Peninsula. It's another killer location with two bedrooms and a sitting room and a view of the Pacific Ocean.
Then we went on to the main event of the day, a visit to Penguin Place. Penguin Place is a privately run, self-funding wildlife sanctuary providing a habitat for the rare yellow eye penguin. The way it is set up is they have blinds in place through out the sanctuary that are reached by means of camouflaged trenches so one can get extremely close to the birds without disturbing them. You are only allowed to go in with a guide and all the proceeds of the guided trip go to maintaining the sanctuary.
Once again our weather luck held up as it did not drip a drop the whole 90 minutes we were out. We successfully saw both the yellow-eye penguins and the blue penguins that also nest in this area. We saw ducks with ducklings, cormorants, and mutton birds (small sea birds who migrate incredibly long distances). It was really, really neat. And we got a nice walk out in the hills by the beach to boot.
Tomorrow it is on to Christchurch.
Our string of nice days ended. It wasn't horrible but it was gray and overcast with drizzles and not too warm. The drive down was fairly uneventful and took most of the morning. We checked into our next bed and breakfast which is just on the base of the Otago Peninsula. It's another killer location with two bedrooms and a sitting room and a view of the Pacific Ocean.
Then we went on to the main event of the day, a visit to Penguin Place. Penguin Place is a privately run, self-funding wildlife sanctuary providing a habitat for the rare yellow eye penguin. The way it is set up is they have blinds in place through out the sanctuary that are reached by means of camouflaged trenches so one can get extremely close to the birds without disturbing them. You are only allowed to go in with a guide and all the proceeds of the guided trip go to maintaining the sanctuary.
Once again our weather luck held up as it did not drip a drop the whole 90 minutes we were out. We successfully saw both the yellow-eye penguins and the blue penguins that also nest in this area. We saw ducks with ducklings, cormorants, and mutton birds (small sea birds who migrate incredibly long distances). It was really, really neat. And we got a nice walk out in the hills by the beach to boot.
Tomorrow it is on to Christchurch.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
New Zealand 2009 - Tales of the Camera Sherpa - Part 15
Is anybody else having problems with Blogger? I having issues connecting, posting comments on other Blogger sites, getting to other Blogger sites. Is it just because I'm in NZ?
The last couple of days we've been hanging around the Central Otago region. The weather has been fabulous. For those following on Google Maps find Queenstown and Cromwell on the South Island. On Tuesday, we got up late after our busy days on Doubtful Sound, got packed up headed to a small former mining town named Arrowtown. This region of NZ had lots of gold and a similar history to that of California in the 1870's with all kinds of people coming in from all over the world. So there are all kinds of ghost towns and towns that have mining history.
Arrowtown has such a restored historical district. It also caters to the tourist trade as now this region is big in the eco-tourism industry, thrill industry (jet boats on rivers, sky diving, bungee jumping, etc.), skiing, and wine. Yes the area is also an up and coming wine area specializing in Pinot Noir ( it is at the 45th parallel the same parallel as Burgundy and Oregon - also centers of Pinot Noir).
When we got to town it was pretty quiet. We were able to get a parking place right on the main drag. By mid afternoon it was packed. And by 5 everyone was leaving fast. We started out with a late breakfast - I really like the bacon here...a bit meatier with a good flavor - then spent the first couple of hours doing a bunch of shopping. Then we saw a sign for 4.2 kilometer walk along a river. Since because of the weather we haven't had much chance to do any walking or hiking, we thought we jump on the chance to do this. We got about 25% of the way when we saw a sign for a track that went up to a lookout. We're always up for a good look out.
Turns out this was a very steep hike over quite a distance. It was well worth it. The views from the look out were killer. Tons of birds and bird songs while we were hiking and when we got there. There was this one hawk. The track was pretty side and Wife and I were walking side by side. This hawk comes buzzing down the path and flies right between the two of us! On our way down it did the same thing but just over our head.
We were pretty sore when we got down because we hadn't stretched or anything since we weren't really expecting a bigger climb.
It was already late afternoon so we figured we'd just eat (it was around 3:30) and have that be our meal of the day. I had some great mussels with a tomato based sauce that worked because of the stronger flavor of the green lipped mussels here. Wife had some shrimp in creamy garlic sauce with rice.
Then it was picture taking in the town before we headed out to our accommodation near Cromwell. It is called a bed and breakfast but is in fact a standalone cottege -brand new - on a hillside overlooking vineyards with a kick butt view across the valley and lake to mountains on the other side.
Wife did some serious evening hour photography. I ran to a grocery store to pick up our typical picnic and breakfast provisions. And then we called it a day.
Today I had her out of bed early - 6:30 - because the near full moon was setting on a totally clear morning and it was a beautiful clear sunrise. It was also cold as hell. After an hour and half of picture taking (10 minutes of pictures - 10 minutes back inside to warm up - repeat as necessary). We had breakfast and showered. It was again pretty late which was fine since we were going wine tasting. Did two wineries and then finished at a third where we had our big meal again. Like so much that is here, another phenomenal location sitting on the outdoor patio - fortunately with good weather - enjoying the food, wine, view, and ambiance. We were there for a good 2 and half hours.
Then we went out searching for some photo shoots at ghost towns and old cemeteries before heading back and calling it a day.
Tomorrow on to the East Coast of the South Island.
The last couple of days we've been hanging around the Central Otago region. The weather has been fabulous. For those following on Google Maps find Queenstown and Cromwell on the South Island. On Tuesday, we got up late after our busy days on Doubtful Sound, got packed up headed to a small former mining town named Arrowtown. This region of NZ had lots of gold and a similar history to that of California in the 1870's with all kinds of people coming in from all over the world. So there are all kinds of ghost towns and towns that have mining history.
Arrowtown has such a restored historical district. It also caters to the tourist trade as now this region is big in the eco-tourism industry, thrill industry (jet boats on rivers, sky diving, bungee jumping, etc.), skiing, and wine. Yes the area is also an up and coming wine area specializing in Pinot Noir ( it is at the 45th parallel the same parallel as Burgundy and Oregon - also centers of Pinot Noir).
When we got to town it was pretty quiet. We were able to get a parking place right on the main drag. By mid afternoon it was packed. And by 5 everyone was leaving fast. We started out with a late breakfast - I really like the bacon here...a bit meatier with a good flavor - then spent the first couple of hours doing a bunch of shopping. Then we saw a sign for 4.2 kilometer walk along a river. Since because of the weather we haven't had much chance to do any walking or hiking, we thought we jump on the chance to do this. We got about 25% of the way when we saw a sign for a track that went up to a lookout. We're always up for a good look out.
Turns out this was a very steep hike over quite a distance. It was well worth it. The views from the look out were killer. Tons of birds and bird songs while we were hiking and when we got there. There was this one hawk. The track was pretty side and Wife and I were walking side by side. This hawk comes buzzing down the path and flies right between the two of us! On our way down it did the same thing but just over our head.
We were pretty sore when we got down because we hadn't stretched or anything since we weren't really expecting a bigger climb.
It was already late afternoon so we figured we'd just eat (it was around 3:30) and have that be our meal of the day. I had some great mussels with a tomato based sauce that worked because of the stronger flavor of the green lipped mussels here. Wife had some shrimp in creamy garlic sauce with rice.
Then it was picture taking in the town before we headed out to our accommodation near Cromwell. It is called a bed and breakfast but is in fact a standalone cottege -brand new - on a hillside overlooking vineyards with a kick butt view across the valley and lake to mountains on the other side.
Wife did some serious evening hour photography. I ran to a grocery store to pick up our typical picnic and breakfast provisions. And then we called it a day.
Today I had her out of bed early - 6:30 - because the near full moon was setting on a totally clear morning and it was a beautiful clear sunrise. It was also cold as hell. After an hour and half of picture taking (10 minutes of pictures - 10 minutes back inside to warm up - repeat as necessary). We had breakfast and showered. It was again pretty late which was fine since we were going wine tasting. Did two wineries and then finished at a third where we had our big meal again. Like so much that is here, another phenomenal location sitting on the outdoor patio - fortunately with good weather - enjoying the food, wine, view, and ambiance. We were there for a good 2 and half hours.
Then we went out searching for some photo shoots at ghost towns and old cemeteries before heading back and calling it a day.
Tomorrow on to the East Coast of the South Island.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)