Sydney, Australia & New Zealand. November 22, 2008 - December 21, 2008
Welcome To Sydney!!! After 29 hours of flights and layovers we finally arrived!!! We left Bilbao at 6:40pm on Saturday, November 22, arrived in Frankfurt at 8:50pm. We originally had a 2 1/2 hr layover leaving at 11:30pm from Frankfurt which was delayed and turned into a 5 hr layover leaving at 2:00am. From Frankfurt we flew to Singapore and had a 1 hr layover for refueling and from there to Sydney arriving at 9:00am on Monday, November 24.
Sydney Tower SkyWalk Tour
Sydney Tower is Sydney's tallest free-standing structure. The tower stands 305 m (1,001 ft) above Sydney. We were attached with a bungy cord to a rail and walked out onto this observation deck with a glass floor which is 260 m (853 ft) above Sydney. Here we had wonderful 360º views of Sydney.
Chess game in Hyde Park
Hyde Park and St Mary's Cathedral
Christmas tree in Hyde Park
Bird in Hyde Park
Sydney Tower
Sydney Central Business District
Sydney Circular Quay - man playing didgeridoo
Sydney Harbour
Sydney Opera House
Sydney Harbour Bridge
Skyline of Sydney
Sydney Harbour - ferry to Manly Beach
Manly Beach
Going to bed. The jetlag and time difference finally caught up with us around 7pm, so we went back to the hotel to sleep.
Sydney Blue Mountains. The Blue Mountains is a mountainous region in New South Wales, Australia, which borders Sydney's metropolitan area, beginning approximately 50 km (31 miles) west of the city's center.
The name Blue Mountains comes from the blue tinge the range takes on when viewed from a distance. The tinge is caused by incoming ultraviolet radiation scattered by particles within the atmosphere creating a blue-greyish colour to any distant objects, including mountains and clouds. It is widely, but incorrectly, believed that this is created by light reflecting off eucalypt leaves.
MOVIE. Sydney Blue Mountains
Sydney Blue Mountains Scenic World
Sydney Blue Mountains Scenic World Katoomba Railway
The Katoomba Scenic Railway is the steepest railway in the world according to the Guinness Book of Records. It was originally part of the Katoomba mining tramways constructed between 1878 and 1900. The cable railway line descends 415 m (1361 ft) through sandstone cliffs, via a rock tunnel with a maximum gradient of 52º - Very steep
Sydney Blue Mountains Scenic Walkway. We took a walk around this forest area.
The Three Sisters. These are sandstone rock formations in the Blue Mountains
Sydney Blue Mountains Scenic World Katoomba Railway. This is one of the original railway cars used to go down the hill to the coal mines.
Sydney Blue Mountains Scenic Cableway. This cable car took us up 545 m (1788 ft) to the top of the mountains.
Picnic lunch
Blue Mountains National Park where kangaroos live in the wild
MOVIE. Kangaroos at Sydney Blue Mountains National Park
Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House
Kangaroo dinner. We tried kangaroo steaks. They look exactly like a sirloin steak, but have a very distinct taste. People say that it tastes like venison.
Sydney The Rocks area at night
Sydney Opera House at night
Bondi Beach (pronounced "BOND-eye") is located 7 km (4 miles) east of Sydney city center.
Bondi Beach is a white sand, blue water beach with HUGE waves for surfing.
Bondi Beach
Sydney Royal Botanic Gardens. The Royal Botanic Gardens are 30 hectares of gardens open to the public in the heart of the city
Sydney Royal Botanic Gardens Grey-headed Flying-foxes, also known as fruit bats. The Grey-headed Flying-fox is a native species to Australia
Sydney Royal Botanic Gardens Grey-headed Flying-foxes
View of Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge from Royal Botanic Gardens
Sydney Royal Botanic Gardens
Sydney Cathedral
Sydney Darling Harbour
Sydney Aquarium
Sydney Chinatown
Auckland Sky Tower. It is 328 m (1,076 ft) tall, as measured from ground level to the top of the mast. This makes it the tallest free-standing structure in the Southern Hemisphere.
Auckland Sky Tower
Auckland Sky TowerObservation deck has a glass floor which enables you to see down 192m (629 ft)
Auckland Sky TowerObservation deck. Looking down onto the street made me dizzy, and I'm not scared of heights!
Auckland Sky Tower at night
Auckland Domain
Auckland Devonport Ferry
Burger Wisconsin!!!!! Home of the World's Best Burgers!!!! Even in Auckland they know!!!!
Our rental car. In New Zealand they drive on the left-hand side of the road. This was tricky to get used to at first. When turning on the turn signal we automatically used our left hand, but this just turned on the windshield wipers and not the turn signal!!
Waitangi Treaty Grounds. It was here on February 6, 1840 that the Treaty of Waitangi was first signed between Maori and the British Crown. In the picture is Ngatokimatawhaorua - one of the world's largest Maori ceremonial war canoes.
Waitangi Te Whare Runanga - fully carved Maori Meeting House, which is representative of all Iwi (regional tribes) in New Zealand.
Waitangi Te Whare Runanga
Haruru Falls
Paihia
SCUBA diving the Poor Knights Islands with Dive! Tutukaka.
On our way to the first dive site. The Poor Knights Islands, a Marine Reserve, are 23 km (14 miles) off New Zealand’s Tutukaka Coast. They are washed by warm currents swept South from the Coral Sea allowing a tropical-like-area.
Beautiful colors and amazing marine life
Christine the diver - Everything's Great!!!! The water was really cold 16ºC - 17ºC (60.8ºF - 62.6ºF)
This is a huge stingray laying in the sand
The Dive! Tutukaka boat where we rested between dives
Satcha got a little seasick. For someone who loves diving, it's too bad that he has such a bad time on boats.
Satcha the diver
We were swimming around when all of the sudden we were surrounded by thousands of fish. We were swimming in the middle of them and they would look at us. They did not scare at all
Satcha the diver - Everything's Great!!!!
View of where we dove from the boat
Just finished our second dive
Time to enjoy the above water scenery
Poor Knights Islands
Huge stingray in the Tutukaka Bay
Bay of Islands Hole in the Rock cruise with dolphin viewing. These are a group of bottlenose dolphins that were swimming right next to the boat.
Bottlenose dolphins
MOVIE. Paihia Hole in the Rock & Dolphin Watching Cruise
It was an amazing sight to see these dolphins jumping right next to the boat.
Bay of Islands Hole in the Rock cruise
Bay of Islands Hole in the Rock cruise. The new birthday binoculars came in very handy for the dolphin viewing!!
Bay of Islands Hole in the Rock
The boat cruised through the Hole in the Rock
Bay of Islands Hole in the Rock cruise. The water was an amazing blue color.
New Zealand forest
Cape Reinga
Cape Reinga. The northwesternmost tip of the Aupouri Peninsula, at the northern end of the North Island of New Zealand.
Cape Reinga is considered the separation marker between the Tasman Sea to the west and the Pacific Ocean to the east
Car ferry to Opononi
Opononi Sand Dunes
Waipoua Forest Tane Mahuta Kauri tree. The Tane Mahuta is the largest living kauri tree.
Waipoua Forest Four Sisters Kauri trees. The Four Sisters are four Kauri trees with evenly spaced slender trunks growing together.
Christine driving
Obstacle along the road
Tamaki Maori Village. When we arrive at the village, we were presented with Te Wero (The Challenge) where the men and women performed the Powhiri (formal welcome). We entered the village where the Tangata Whenua (people of the land) demonstrated different activities such as poi twirling, hand games, weaponry displays, reciting chants and displaying activities of an era gone by. From there we entered the meetinghouse where the group presented a variety of Waiata, Haka, and Song and Dance.
Tamaki Maori Village.
Tamaki Maori Village Hangi Meal. The traditional hangi meal cooks under the earth on hot rocks for three to four hours. This is the age-old traditional cooking method of the Maori. The rocks are heated to a white-hot state with some of our native timber. They are then put into a pit dug in the earth. The baskets of meat are put directly on the hot stones, then the vegetable baskets and then the pudding basket on top of that. A wet cloth is placed over the food followed by wet hessian. Earth is then piled quickly over everything to keep the heat inside the earth oven. The kai (food) cooks slowly over several hours - a combination of smoking and steaming, and the end result is a distinctly flavoured, succulent and mouth watering meal. We had lamb, beef, fish, potato, kumara (sweet potato) and cooked vegetables.
Rotorua Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland Lady Knox Geyser. Rotorua is a city on the southern shore of Lake Rotorua in the Bay of Plenty region of the North Island of New Zealand. It is well-known for geothermal activity: There are a number of geysers, hot mud pools, steaming craters, etc.
Rotorua Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland Lady Knox Geyser
Rotorua Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland. Rotorua is nicknamed Sulphur City, because of all the thermal activity. The sulphur gives off an odor unique to Rotorua. It's stinky!!!!
Rotorua Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland.
Rotorua Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland Champagne Pool. This is a hot spring. The name Champagne Pool comes from the abundant outward flow of carbon dioxide similar to gas bubbles in a glass of bubbling champagne.
Rotorua Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland Champagne Pool
Rotorua Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland
Rotorua Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland Bubbling Mud Pools
Rotorua Waimangu Volcanic Valley. In 1886, Mt Tarawera in Rotorua erupted, destroying the surrounding area. The eruption opened the earth along a 17km rift, splitting Mt Tarawera in two, exploding Lake Rotomahana to 20 times its size, and forming the seven craters that today make up Waimangu Volcanic Valley
Rotorua Waimangu Volcanic Valley Cathedral Rock
Rotorua Waimangu Volcanic Valley Inferno Crater. The water of Inferno Crater is an amazing turquoise hue. How beautiful!!!! But, the water is 80ºC (176ºF) and a highly acidic pH.
Rotorua Waimangu Volcanic Valley Inferno Crater
Rotorua Waimangu Volcanic Valley
Rotorua Waimangu Volcanic Valley black swans
Huka Falls are a set of waterfalls on the Waikato River that drains Lake Taupo.
Huka Falls. What an amazing blue color of the water!!!
Huka Falls
Craters of the Moon. Craters of the Moon is a small but highly active geothermal field in the Taupo Volcanic Zone. There are numerous steam vents, constantly shifting, collapsing and reforming giving the whole area desolate appearance, hence the name. There are also some bubbling thermal mud pools.
Craters of the Moon.
Taupo. Picnic lunch by Lake Taupo
Tongariro Mt Ruapehu. Mount Ruapehu is an active stratovolcano at the southern end of the Taupo Volcanic Zone in New Zealand. Mt. Ruapehu was the setting for Mt. Doom in the The Lord of the Rings
Tongariro National Park Tawhai Falls
Tongariro Alpine Crossing. The crossing starts at Mt Ngauruhoe and crosses over to the the volcanic terrain of the multi-cratered active volcano Mt Tongariro. This is supposed to be one of New Zealand's most spectacular and famous one-day tramps. I say "supposed to" because it was cold, windy, cloudy and rainy when we did the hike.
Tongariro Alpine Crossing. We started at 6:30am. The hike normally takes between 6-8 hours.
Tongariro Alpine Crossing. The track begins with a steep 45 minute ascent – the most difficult part of the track – soon after the start. Further, smaller descents and ascents into and back out of two different craters on the mountain add to the total amount of climbing involved. The last 2 hours of the walk involve a prolonged descent down the northern flank of the volcano
Tongariro Alpine Crossing. As we got to the top of the first mountain we were walking in clouds. It was raining and cold. We couldn't see anything because the clouds were so dense.
Tongariro Alpine Crossing. After the 2 hour climb of Mt Ngauruhoe we crossed over to Mt Tongariro
Tongariro Alpine Crossing Emerald Lakes. These lakes are the most famous part the Crossing. They are 3 turquoise lakes at the top of the Crossing.
Tongariro Alpine Crossing Emerald Lakes.
Tongariro Alpine Crossing
Tongariro Alpine Crossing. The sun comes out for about 5 minutes
Tongariro Alpine Crossing.
Tongariro Alpine Crossing. Snow, cold, rain and clouds
Tongariro Alpine Crossing. There was a lot of snow. We had to cross this huge sheet of snow. 1 slip and you'd be sliding down the side.
Tongariro Alpine Crossing. Lunch break at the Ketetahi Hut
Tongariro Alpine Crossing. As we walk down the mountain it starts to clear up.
Tongariro Alpine Crossing. We had to cross streams
Tongariro Alpine Crossing. As we walk down the mountain it starts to clear up and get sunny
Tongariro Alpine Crossing. This is the end of the crossing where it goes through a forest
Tongariro Alpine Crossing. We finished!!!! We should've waited to do the crossing later in the morning because when we got down to the bottom it was a hot, sunny day.
Tongariro Alpine Crossing. Waiting for the bus to pick us up. We restored our energy with bananas!
Tongariro
Driving from Tongariro to Wellington
Car ferry from Wellington (North Island) to Picton (South Island). The trip between islands takes about 3 hours
Car ferry from Wellington (North Island) to Picton (South Island).
Green-lipped mussel dinner!!!! The New Zealand green-lipped mussel is tipical in New Zealand. It is one of the largest mussel species which has a tender white meet and the shell has a beautiful green color around the edge. These are the best mussels I've ever tasted (boiled with a garlic, white wine broth)!!!
Abel Tasman Kyak and Walk. We're taking a Aqua Taxi north from Marahau to the Onetahuti beach.
Abel Tasman Kyak and Walk. Preparing for kayaking
Abel Tasman Kyak and Walk. We kayaked from Onetahuti beach to the seal colony on Tonga Island. What an amazing blue color of the Tasman Sea!!
Abel Tasman Kyak and Walk. We close with the kayaks to be able to see a New Zealand fur seal colony. Some were sleeping on the rocks and other swimming in the water.
Abel Tasman Kyak and Walk.
Abel Tasman Kyak and Walk Mosquito Bay
Abel Tasman Kyak and Walk. We left the kayaks at Bark Bay, had lunch then walked through the bush for about 2 hours to Torrent Bay.
Abel Tasman Kyak and Walk Torrent Bay
Nelson. Happy 35th Birthday Satcha!!!!
Driving from Nelson to Franz Josef.
Tauranga Bay Seal Colony
Tauranga Bay
Driving from Nelson to Franz Josef. Caution - Penguin Crossing!!!
Punakaiki Pancake Rocks. The Pancake Rocks are a heavily eroded limestone area where the sea bursts through a number of vertical blowholes during high tides
Punakaiki Pancake Rocks.
Franz Josef Glacier. The Franz Josef is a 12 km (7.5 miles) long glacier. It is unique in the fact that it descends from the Southern Alps to less than 300 metres (984 ft) above sea level amidst the greenery and lushness of a temperate rainforest. It is also one of only three glaciers to come so close to a coastline (the other two are the New Zealand Fox Glacier and Argentina Perito Moreno)
Franz Josef Glacier Terminal. The Glacier Terminal is the end of the glacier
Franz Josef Glacier View Forest Walk
Lake Matheson. This lake is near the Fox Glacier and is famous for its reflected views of Aoraki/Mount Cook. It was windy when we went, so Aoraki/Mount Cook didn't reflect in the lake
Lake Matheson
Franz Josef Glacier 1/2 Day Hike. We were going to do the Heli-Hike where a helicopter would take us to the top of the glacier and we'd hike around the ice at the top. But, since the clouds didn't cooperate with us while we were there, we decided to do the 1/2 day hike.
Franz Josef Glacier 1/2 Day Hike. It was about a 5 hour hike with 2 hours on the ice. We walked 2.2km (1.4 miles) through the river valley and nearby rainforest to the glacier terminal.
Franz Josef Glacier 1/2 Day Hike.
Franz Josef Glacier 1/2 Day Hike. When we got there we strapped on crampons (spikes at the bottom of our boots) and hiked our way up the terminal face of the glacier.
Franz Josef Glacier 1/2 Day Hike. What an amazing, undescribable sensation to be hiking on a glacier!!!
Franz Josef Glacier
Franz Josef Glacier 1/2 Day Hike
Franz Josef Glacier 1/2 Day Hike. There were cracks formed in the ice where we could barely fit through. The ice was so blue and beautiful in parts.
Fox Glacier. The Fox Glacier is a 12 km (7.5 miles) long glacier about 25km (15 miles) from the Franz Josef Glacier.
Fox Glacier Terminal face. We were going to walk up to the terminal ice of the glacier, but 20 minutes before we'd arrived huge boulders had fallen from the cliffs (to the left of me in the picture). The rangers closed off the track and didn't allow anyone to pass while they observed the cliffs.
Haast Pass Thunder Creek Falls. This waterfall and creek was 5 minutes walking from the side of the road. The creek was a beautiful, and cold, turquoise color.
Haast Pass Fantail Falls. This waterfall and creek was 5 minutes walking from the side of the road. The creek was a beautiful, and cold, turquoise color.
Haast Pass Makarora River Swing Bridge. This bridge crosses the Makarora River to view the Blue Pools.
Haast Pass Blue Pools. These blue pools are deep river pools situated where the Blue River joins the Makarora River
Haast Pass Blue Pools
Typical New Zealand Fern
Lake Hawera Lookout. On our way to Wanaka we stopped at this lookout.
Rainbow while driving to Rob Roy Glacier Track
Sheep at the Mt Aspring Rob Roy Glacier Track
Mt Aspring Rob Roy Glacier Track
Mt Aspring Rob Roy Glacier Track.
Road obstacle on the way to Queenstown
Queenstown
Lake Gunn
Kea bird at Lake Gunn lookout
Lake Gunn Lookout
Milford Sound Cruise
Milford Sound
Milford Sound is a fiord in the south west of New Zealand's South Island. Milford Sound runs 15 km (9 miles) inland from the Tasman Sea and is surrounded by sheer rock faces that rise 1,200 m (3937 ft) or more on either side
Milford Sound. Jaw Dropping Views. There are no words to describe this area....it's beautiful!!!
Milford Sound Fur Seal Colony
Mirror Lakes
Driving back from Milford to Te Anau
Doubtful Sound Lookout
Doubtful Sound Cruise
Doubtful Sound is a fiord in the south west of New Zealand's South Island. It is the second largest of the 14 fiords in Fiordland National Park and it is three times longer and 10 times larger than Milford Sound
Doubtful Sound. You can feel the power of nature here - the remoteness, the wildness and the peace
Doubtful Sound
Doubtful Sound Fur Seal Colony
MOVIE. Doubtful Sound Fur Seals
Dunedin city Christmas tree
Dunedin Royal Albatross Viewing. The species is typically about 115 cm (45 in), weighs 6.2-8.2 kg (13.7-18.1 lbs) and has a wingspan from 270 to 305 cm (107-120 in). From the picture you can see that it was very foggy this day, so we weren't able to see the bird until they were flying directly above us
Dunedin Fur Seal Colony
Dunedin Yellow-eyed Penguin. The Yellow-eyed Penguin is a penguin native to New Zealand. It is a fairly large penguin, averaging 75 cm (30 in) long and weighing about 6.3 kg (14 lbs). It has a pale yellow head and paler yellow iris with black feather shafts. The chin and throat are brownish-black. There is a band of bright yellow running from its eyes around the back of the head.
Dunedin Yellow-eyed Penguin. This penguin usually nests in forest or scrub, on slopes or gullies facing the sea. It generally forages 7-13 km (4-8 miles) offshore, and travelling on average around 17 km (11 miles) away from the nesting site. Birds leave the colony at dawn and return the same evening during chick rearing, and may spend 2-3 days at sea at other times.
Dunedin Yellow-eyed Penguin
Dunedin Yellow-eyed Penguin viewing
MOVIE. Dunedin Yellow-eyed Penguins
Moeraki Boulders. These are unusually large and spherical boulders lying along a stretch of beach.
Moeraki Boulders
Whitestone Cheese Factory cheese tasting. Yummy!!!
Oamaru Yellow-eyed Penguins
Oamaru Yellow-eyed Penguins viewing
Caution!! Yellow-eyed Penguin Crossing
Caution!! Blue Penguin Crossing
Oamaru Blue Penguins. The Blue Penguin is the smallest species of penguin discovered so far. The penguin, which is about 43 cm (16 in) tall, is found on the coastlines of southern Australia and New Zealand, with possible records from Chile. We went to the Blue Penguin conservation area where we observed at dusk the penguins coming in from sea to their nests. They come in from the sea in "rafts" which are groups of 20-50 penguins. This is because they are so small they feel more protected in groups. We weren't allowed to take any pictures.
Mount Cook National Park. Aoraki/Mount Cook is the highest mountain in New Zealand. Aoraki means "Cloud Piercer" in the Ngai Tahu dialect of the Maori language. The average annual rainfall in the surrounding lowlands is around 7.6 m (300 inches). This very high rainfall leads to temperate rain forests in the coastal lowlands and a reliable source of snow in the mountains to keep the glaciers flowing. These include the Tasman and Murchison Glaciers to the east and the smaller Hooker and Mueller Glaciers to the south
Mount Cook National Park
Mount Cook National Park Hooker Valley.
Mount Cook National Park Tasman Glacier Valley. This valley was carved out by the retreating of the Tasman Glacier.
Mount Cook National Park Lake Tasman. The waters from the Tasman and the Murchison Glaciers form the pool at the end of the glacier in Lake Tasman
Mount Cook National Park Lake Tasman. There are huge icebergs that have broken off from the Tasman Glacier in this lake. The water is 2ºC (35ºF)
Mount Cook National Park Lake Tasman. We took a boat ride on the lake and were able to view up close the terminal ice of the Tasman Glacier, the icebergs and even taste the 300 year old ice!!!!
Mount Cook National Park Lake Tasman. Yummy!!!!
Mount Cook National Park Lake Tasman. Perfectly transparent ice!!!!
Mount Cook National Park Lake Tasman Iceberg
Mount Cook National Park Lake Tasman. Tasman Glacier terminal ice
Mount Cook National Park Lake Tasman
Mt Cook National Park Lake Pukaki. Look at the color of the water (and it was cloudy this day)!!!
Kaikoura. We had lunch on this beach. The body of water is the Pacific Ocean.
Kaikoura Walk Lookout
Kaikoura Fur Seal
Kaikoura Whale Watching. We did a whale watching tour and saw two sperm whales suface. The Sperm Whale is the largest of all toothed whales and largest living toothed animal. A sperm Whale is the title "character" in Herman Melville's novel Moby-Dick
Kaikoura Whale Watching
Kaikoura Whale Watching. The Sperm Whale dives down about 400 m(1,300 ft) in depth and 35 minutes in duration. Between dives, the Sperm Whale will come up to the surface to breathe for about 8 minutes before diving again
MOVIE. Kaikoura Whale Watching
Kaikoura Whale Watching. Pacific Ocean
Kaikoura Seafood Dinner
Kaikoura. Relaxing on the beach
The flight home.
