Milford Sound

Awesome, spectacular, magnificent – what other words can be used to describe such a wonderful place? The drive to Milford was lovely but just wonderful after Te Anau – towering cliffs with crevasses filled with snow. Then on through the Homer tunnel – it was started in 1935 and took 18 years to build, and 10,000 gallons of water had to be pumped away each day.

We boarded the Milford Mariner at 4.30pm and after a welcome and safety briefing by the Captain we put our things away and went up on deck.

Milford Sound is really a fjord and was carved out many thousands of years ago by four very large glaciers. To say it was breath taking is an under statement – the power and the glory was just so obvious there. We saw some New Zealand fur seals basking in the sun and further on some more playing in the water. We anchored at Anita Bay, just outside the entrance to the Sound. Ross and Colin went kayaking and Adrian and I went in a tender craft around the Bay. When we got back all three boys went for a swim. It was cold but exhilarating and they all jumped in a number of times. After all the water activities, the boat headed back in to the Sound to anchor at Harrison Cove for the night. While the boat was sailing back, the boys all had a warm shower, and then it was time for drinks and crudités in the forward saloon. At the Cove, the sun had come out making the snow and the glacier on Mt Pembroke beautiful shades of pink.

At dinner, we shared a table with some people from England whose daughter is working at Christchurch hospital. Ann, David and Rachel were very interesting to talk to, and they enjoyed our boys who were totally on show with their best behaviour out. Dinner was soup, followed by a buffet roast and dessert which was all delicious. After dinner we watched a slide show of the area. Then bed …only to be woken at 3.45am by Adrian who was excited beyond measure!

The sun only came up around 6.00am and we saw it had been raining all night and was still raining. Normally rain on holiday would not be pleasant but the contrary is true in Milford Sound as the waterfalls were streaming over the cliffs making it a truly spectacular sight. We were all so hungry that breakfast at 7.00am was very welcome and then we started up the Sound into the Tasman again.

On the way the captain piloted the boat really close to the cliffs where the water was thundering over and making a magnificent shower …many people including Adrian, Ross and Colin went out into it.

On the way back we were dropped off at the Underwater Observatory where many species of coral including the rare black coral (which is actually white) grow at a relatively shallow depth. This is a result of there being a tannin stained layer of fresh water on top of the sea water making it much darker at shallower depths.
After getting back to the wharf we said our farewells to Milford Sound and headed south stopping outside the Homer tunnel where there are very naughty Kea.

Then through Te Anau, Manapouri and Invercargill via the Southern Scenic route. It seemed like a long drive because we were all very tired, but it wasn’t really.

Jets and Deer

Yesterday we went on the Kawarau Jet – a jet boat ride up the Frankton arm of Wakaitpu, into the Kawarau River and then into the Shotover River. This is run by the same people as the famous Shotover Jet, but is longer and doesn’t go through the Gorge. Well, the boys (all three) loved it!!! I, however, thought it was dreadful and really felt sick by about a quarter of the way into the ride. Ross and Colin were shouting with glee along with everyone else. I thought that Colin in particular would be a bit scared but he was sitting on the outside loving every minute. Adrian was taking photos almost all the time and every time the driver did a 360˚ turn he had to quickly put his camera away! I couldn’t wait to stagger off the boat like an old lady and sit down to have a seasick tablet.

We came back to the cottage for lunch and then took a drive and ended up at the deer park – what a wonderful surprise! For a $20 entry and $1 to buy a large tine of food, we wound our way up “Deer park heights” (just in front of The Remarkables) for the most wonderful view of Queenstown. There were also goats, a number of different deer species, alpaca, pony, yak, bison, sheep, ducks and chickens. The boys got out to feed the various animals and at one point Ross also became an alpaca herder as one would not get out of the way of other cars.









One the way up, there were also a number of Lord of the Ring filming sites which we investigated. The views from the Eastern Summit were spectacular – up and down two sides of Lake Wakitipu.










Then a surprise awaited us on the Wetsern Summit – a Korean prison set from a Walt Disney movie The Rescue filmed in 1986.










Also see what we had to buy in Nelson …not the car! But more luggage space – that’s what happens when you’re away for four weeks I suppose

Queenstown

Wednesday today and yesterday we had a day in Queenstown. We walked around a bit, went down to the underwater viewing site where we could feed the fish. Not only did we see brown trout but also eels and scaup (NZ's only diving duck).

Then we went up on the gondolas where the boys road the luge five times each.

Just time for a quick walk down to the wharf for a trip on the TSS Earnslaw a steam ship that travels out onto the waters of Lake Wakitipu

Wanaka

Today we headed over Cardrona to Wanaka where it really was very cold!

We got out at the water's edge but quickly got back into the car and drove around the lake a bit. We found some ducks and the boys fed them the stale bread rolls.

Then we headed to Puzzle World where everyone had such fun. The boys finished the maze way before Adrian ( I think they used a couple of the no entry doors), and I got bored and excaped via the emergency exit. They also went itno the room with all the faces and the gravity defying room amongst others. Ross and Colin really enjoyed some of the wooden puzzles that were out on the tables for people to play with.

Further down the road we went into Have-A-Go and played mini-golf on a course designed to look like local landmarks. None of us took it very seriously though, but we had lots of fun!

Happy Birthday to me!

Well, here we are in Queenstown on my birthday! The boys bought me some stuff at the visitor shop last night, Adrian gave me a new nightie (how did he guess it was just what I wanted?), my parents gave me some cash. I had two happy birthday text messages and a phone call and an email from the Miles'. We're off to Arrowtown and then lunch at a winery before meeting Lara and Nik later on

Update: well we didn't make it to the winery but still had a lovely lunch. The boys tried some gold panning but without success. Tonight I met up with Lara and Nik (two "scrapping club" friends) and we had dessert and a Fraise (strwaberry flovoured bubbly) and a long chat. Ross wanted to know how come I have so many friends around New Zealand! I just explained that it's my "scrapbooking club"!!

Thanks to everyome who emailed or sent text messages - it was great receiving them

Hanmer Springs and Oamaru

The drive to Hanmer Springs is very pretty as is Hanmer Springs itself, but there were lots of people there! We went to the maze, which is really fun and then played mini-golf which the boys loved. Then we went up to the hot springs which were really busy – almost no space to get in. One thing I noticed was that the sun is really vicious in Hanmer – there were lots of people burnt quite red.


This was the night that Adrian got sick; Ross was sick in Nelson. Whatever it was lasted 24 hours and left one feeling really weak. I got it in Oamaru but fortunately Colin escaped.

In Oamaru we went to see the yellow-eyes penguins or hoiho as they’re known. They start coming ashore from about 3pm and climb up the cliffs to their nesting place. Then we went on to the Little Blue penguins. They spend all day at sea feeding and at nightfall meet up and come ashore in a group called a “raft”. They come up the rocks slowly checking to see that all is safe. Then they make their way to their nesting boxes. Just wonderful to see! The boys were enthralled and each had to buy a stuffed toy.

Queenstown

We arrived in the rain, but the weather started clearing by the evening. We walked into town and had some dinner at a wonderful little restaurant called Cow – yummy pizza and pasta. Then we walked around and ended up at Minus 5˚ – an ice bar in town. The kids thought it was fantastic – all dressed up in Ugg boots and really warm jackets

Wellinton to Nelson

We left Welling ton on Saturday (30th December) in glorious weather so the crossing on the Kaitaki was not at all unpleasant. We stopped in Havelock (where both Ernest Rutherford and William Pickering went to school) and then onto Pelorus Bridge where the boys had a swim. The sand flies were just dreadful there – we were all bitten very badly.

Nelson is as beautiful as ever – the boys had great fun on Saturday night at the “Indy” track – chasing each other around and trying to overtake. Both Ross and Colin crashed into the side barrier though. Sunday we headed for “our” spot on Rabbit Island only to discover that because of erosion, it has been barricaded off and the bbq and picnic table removed. It was so disappointing, so we had drive around to find somewhere else to have a picnic – not an easy task as there were lots of people out enjoying the day. We found a spot, parked the car and headed for the beach. There was a chilly breeze blowing but the kids went into the water. When they came out we headed into the park a bit to find protection from the wind. Just as Adrian was finishing the meat, the rain came down so we ended our picnic in the car!

On Monday, after the boys all had a go on the Bumpy Cars, we went to Mapua to the little aquarium and then headed back to the Island and still the wind was blowing. A quick bbq, a play on the beach and we headed back.

Tuesday was our trip to Cape Farewell, the most northern point of the South Island; and Farewell Spit, an internationally recognised wetland. The trip over the Takaka Hill was very windy which didn’t do much for Ross as he was already feeling ill. At Collingwood, we joined our four-wheel drive bus for the seven hour trip first to Cape Farewell, which is on a line with Levin on the North Island and then down to the lighthouse at the end of Farewell Spit. On the way we saw seals basking in the sun; oyster catchers, turnstones from the Artic, godwits, gannets and cormorants. Sadly, we even saw a couple of dead Little Blue Penguins which nest on the Spit. At the Lighthouse, we had our lunch and a very welcome cup of coffee. The lighthouse has a grove of macrocarpa trees growing there – one of the early lighthouse keepers would bring back a couple of bags of topsoil every time he made the two day trip to collect mail and nurtured the trees for three years until the could survive by themselves.

Then it was back on the bus for a play on the sand dunes and on to the other end of the Spit where we saw more seals basking in the sun. The boys even climbed up on a rock to have a better view. After a wonderful day out, it was time to head home again across the Takaka Hill – which is really more of a mountain than a “hill”. At Farewell Point, we were in a direct line with Separation Point

A Year in Review

Dear Family and Friends,

We hope that this letter finds you all well; as we are. Once again, we’ve tried losing weight, Jenny with more success than Adrian – it remains an ongoing battle! We started doing some more home renovations and painted all the deck and other wood areas as well as the second spare bedroom. There is still more to be done but we’ll get to it eventually.

We spent a week in Rotorua in October and had a wonderful time. We did lots of touristy things like a mud bath at Hell’s Gate (the smell of which is still in our clothes!!). We also found a wonderful mini golf course that had real steam coming out of various holes around the course. We also went to Mt Tarawera where the world famous pink-and-white terraces were before they were covered by the volcanic explosion in 1886. Of course we had to go to our favourite Wakite Pools which have had an extra pool added. We think it is Rotorua’s best kept secret! On the way back, we stopped just off the Desert Road as there had been a lot of snow and all three boys had great fun throwing snow balls.

Our cul-de-sac is once again a hive of activity as we have Christmas “tourists” coming round. The lights outside get better and better every year and we struggle to keep up with the "Joneses".

Adrian once again has had another successful year at xxx - he really enjoys what he does and is making a difference in the work place. Adrian still enjoys his walks on the beach front at lunchtime when the weather is fine. xxxx sent him to Teched in Auckland this year (Microsoft’s annual technical conference) that is a first for him and from which he learned much. He is still a member at xxx Lions and is the secretary of the club for the current year. Adrian had a fantastic trip to Brisbane in May at a Lions leadership seminar and came home full of enthusiasm. Next year he will be on the District Governor’s cabinet as the PR person.

Jenny has had an up and down year at xxx College and next year will not be making quite as much effort to ensure that homework is done! She continues to really enjoy scrapping, has started teaching a night class at the Adult Education centre, and continues to run a very popular and successful annual Scrap Camp at Forest Lakes, a resort about an hours drive north of Wellington. Jenny was lucky enough to get a cheetah encounter at Wellington Zoo for her birthday and Christmas present – what a wonderful experience that was! Two beautiful cheetah who were born at De Wildt and who now reside at Wellington Zoo. They both love the human interaction and start purring as soon as they have their harnesses on.

In mid-October, Jenny’s credit card was stolen by a criminal well-known for impersonating a woman. He managed to spend nearly $2,000 in four days before we discovered this and put a stop on the card. He was arrested by the police shortly afterwards and appeared in court on 21st December. There are over 60 charges against him including impersonating a nurse in Christchurch and stealing a car which he drove to Wellington. He then sat in the xxx College staff room looking official and when he had the opportunity, went through Jenny’s bag and purse selecting her credit card. The police will now take a victim statement from Jenny which will be read out in court at the sentencing.

The boys get bigger and bigger: Ross is now twelve and Colin has just turned eleven. Both of them will be at Intermediate (two years of schooling between Primary and High school) next year before Ross heads off to College in 2007.

Ross again had a successful year at Gymnastics: he was invited to trial for the Competition squad and even though he was really sick (he spent two weeks in bed), he gave it his very best effort and was selected. This means training twice a week and for longer hours, but he is enjoying it. He again won the Male Incentive trophy presented to the gymnast who has the best scores in Badge work. His coach told me that his scores were up amongst the girls’ scores so we are very proud of him. He has had a wonderful first year at Intermediate and has improved his Maths particularly in the areas of problem solving. Ross was one of only two pupils in the school to receive a Mental Computation merit (amongst others) and brought home an excellent report. He has been selected to go on a Year 8 trip to Ruapehu in March next year.

Colin finishes his final year at Primary school and had a good year. He said as we were walking from xxx School that he was glad he went there. (Some of you may recall that we changed his primary school four years ago.) Colin has matured over the year and managed to get his Basic facts from 51% to 92% much of it with help from Adrian who relentlessly every morning during the car trip to school, practised with him. Colin again took part in the school swimming competition relay team which they won and then went on to the Wellington regional finals. Colin had a collage art work on display at Capital E this year – the only boy’s piece of art work amongst a number of girls’ pieces.

Both boys played winter soccer, this time in the same team which made it very easy for us not having to go in two different directions on a Saturday morning. They have also just finished a very successful Twilight Soccer (summer soccer) season where their team came first.

In July, Jenny put Mom and Dad Woods’ house on TradeMe (a New Zealand based online auction site) and within three weeks the house was sold saving thousands in agent’s commission. Then followed a very stressful period as they had nowhere to go to; but came to our house for a week. The day they moved out of the sold house, we found them a wonderful little rental property fairly close and within walking distance of the Intermediate. The agent chose them over forty applicants and within a week they were able to move. They are now well settled as is their cat. Ross will often walk there instead of walking home – just to pop in for a snack!

We still have our family blog where we try to regularly update with our news – go and visit and leave us a comment our two! http://engel4nz.blogspot.com/

We’d love to have you visit us as we have the space; this year we had Wayne (Jenny’s neighbour in South Africa) who now lives in Australia, come to visit us. He was even lucky enough to help with the painting. While he was here we went to see King Kong which we all thoroughly enjoyed.

So just enough time to wish you all a very Happy Christmas and a Prosperous New Year

Love from,
Adrian, Jenny, Ross and Colin

The stolen credit card update

Here's a link to the court case that was held yesterday: http://www.stuff.co.nz/3907478a10.html The thief will be sentenced in January and the police will need to take a victim report from me that will be read out at the sentencing

Christmas Crop

Yesterday was our Christmas Crop and it was a fun day even though I was almost too tired to keep my eyes open. I didn't sleep well on Friday night and the 5.4 earthquake at 3.40am didn't help much.

Anyway, I managed only one l/o but the lettering took hours to do. Some patterend paper, some ribbon, some chipboard (a first for me) and of course Bazzill

The rest of the story

On Saturday 21st October I spent the day scrapping and when I got home Adrian noticed late in the evening that there were a lot of transactions on our credit card. We thought the transactions had been incorrectly processed to our card number but no, it was transactions on my credit card. We put a stop to it at 11.30pm that night, but I felt absolutely sick and I didn't sleep very well that night. We had to go to the police the next day (Sunday) to make a statement. The last time I used it was on the Tuesday before at the petrol station. We went and reported it on the Sunday morning and for the life of me I could not remember what had happened - I was positive I got it back and put it away after buying petrol. The sergeant promised that he would get on to it.
On the Monday afternoon (23rd October - it was a holiday here) I got a call from a policeman at Wellington Central CIB about my credit card! They found a slip for items purchased at Wellington Airport on Friday afternoon in a stolen car that they recovered. This was front page news that day : http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/dominionpost/0,2106,3836699a6000,00.html Later that afternoon, CIB phoned me to tell me that "she" had been arrested. I asked them to ask how "she" got my credit card. The next day Tuesday, CIB phoned me te tell me that "she" confessed: he admitted that he came into our school sat around in the staffroom chatting to people and then stole my card from my handbag! We have staff work rooms and we all keep our things there
"She" ran up a total of $1700 in four days but we don't have to pay it. It will go to court sometime in the future and he will be fined/sent to jail/whatever.
It was a dreadful feeling knowing that someone like that had been through my handbag and purse and I felt sick for the rest of that week. I'm feeling better now though

*Update*: Chapman appeared in court on Tuesday this week on 28 different charges - he pleaded not guilty to all of them!

My terrible horrible no good very bad week

My credit card went missing! When we discovered it, I wished I was in Fiji

And I can't tell too much of the story but it has to do with a criminal here who managed to run up $2,000 but is now behind bars - I bet he wishes he was in Fiji!

Rotorua - Saturday - coming home

Saturday saw the end of our week in Rotorua. We stopped off for a last swim at the Waikite pools and then headed south. Coming into Taupo, there was not a cloud in the sky and of course the mountains were really clear. We stopped in Turangi for a quick cup of coffee with my friend Julie and then set off again.








It had been very cold in Wellington and on the Desert Road during the week, and just at the Tukino ski field turn off I saw some snow. I turned off and I had barely stopped the car and the boys were all out having such fun. It didn't seem to matter that they had no shoes or warm tops - they just played as it is the first time that they remember seeing any form of snow.

Rotorua - Friday - Waikite Pools

These must rate as Rotorua's best kept secret! About 20 minutes south of Rotorua turn right and travel 6kms to the softest, cleanest and cheapest mineral baths in the area. It is such a breath of fresh air to get away from the other Rotorua prices which are clearly aimed at the US$, Japanese Yen and GBP. $20 for the family and we spent a good couple of hours relaxing in the warm "oily" water. Previously there were two pools, last week they opened the third one which is a very natural pool - they were originally the changing rooms! It was a lovely day and Ross and I even got burnt! The water comes from a boiling spring a short distance away which is pumped out of the river and then cooled before draining into one of the three pools.

Rotorua - Thursday - Mt Tarawera

In the late 19th century, people came from far and wide to see the famous Pink & White Terraces- caused by silica build up. During the early morning of 10th June 1886, Mt Tarawera volcano exploded through a 13km gash so splitting the mountain and blowing up the Terraces. The village where people stayed before going out on the lake to see the Terraces was covered in mud and ash killing 17 people. In 1938 excavations were done and some of the village was uncovered as well as various items - beds, hats, hand bag, cooking utensils etc.








We walked around the village and through the rest of the property. There is a lovely stream with trout in it and a waterfall at the end. This set of stairs was only one of many to get to the falls. I choose not to go down, but the boys did.















This grove of poplar trees grew from fence posts.

After a lovely afternoon tea of scones and coffee, we then went on down to the lake.

Rotorua - Wednesday - The Luge

Wednesday we headed up the gondolas to ride the luge - well, the boys rode and I watched. It was a beautiful day out. Actually, it started out a bit overcast but soon cleared into a beautiful day. This photo is looking back down towards Lake Rotorua from inside the gondola







Each luge ride took about half-an-hour as they had to wait at the bottom to catch the chairlift back up to the top.











The chair lift also scooped up the luges to return them to the top