Bus Tour to Milford Sound

Moon over the 'avalanche' pass, south island, New Zealand

Today started long before the sun rose. We walked a block to where we loaded onto a bus for a guided tour headed for Milford Sound. The bus was huge, comfy, with mega windows, to show off the view.

Lowland sheep for miles and miles

When the sun was up, we were agog with scenery. It started quite plain - fields and farms, with snow capped mountains looking all showy in the distance. We were told all about New Zealand sheep farming. The country is famous for having more sheep than people. The source of Manuka Honey was pointed out where the brownish trees/shrubs grew. We learned that the lowlands specialty is sheep grown for meat, and secondarily their coarse wool. The highlands specializes in Merino sheep which are famous for the best wool of all sheep breeds (arguable for some, but I'm with it).

Wild Red Deer on a hillside

We passed some wild Red Deer - not native to New Zealand, hunted for it's meat and to keep its numbers under control as there are no deer predators. But we saw far more deer - at least a thousand - Red Deer, and North American Wapiti (elk) grown for meat on the farms.

Farm of Wapiti 

European Deer Farm

Massive Takehe

There were a couple of rest stops along the way, and the first was the small town of Te Anau. I shrieked in surprise when I spotted a huge cement Takehe bird that the bus shot past so quickly I got no photo. Had to search on line for the photo on the left.  Takehe are a shore bird that was almost exterpated, but now it can be seen, wild and free in Te Anau. Alas, I saw none.

The Te Anau rest area had loads of interesting things to buy, including expensive hand knit merino sweaters (one of which boasted a photo of President Obama wearing one - his favorite sweater.


Oh, and there was a cafeteria full of yummy New Zealand foods. The Kiwis seem quite fond of little meat pasties and pies.


As God is my witness, I have no clue why I didn't just dive into one of the Venison Mushroom pies because they look scrumptious.

Our next stop was at Fjordland National Park. The mountains there were covered with snow and everyone got out for some photo opt time.

Fjordland National Park, New Zealand

I knew New Zealand had grand mountains before getting here, in fact, in my mind I imagined if I ever visited New Zealand I'd be driving high up on mountain roads being attacked by wild & crazy Kea parrots. Nope! We were in valleys but the mountains did not disappoint.

Shortly after our valley stop, the bus drove us along a dark forest that reminded me of rain forests. It was called Mirror Lake and all got off the bus to trapse down a wooden boardwalk to the edge of a marsh. 

The boardwalk ended at a marsh

New Zealand Teal

The instructions given by our bus driver guide were unclear, but I didn't care. I shot along the boardwalk thinking: DUCKS!

I shot a zillion photos and then in some sort of miracle, a male/female pair of Paradise Shelducks, put on an aerial show.

The male is white-headed

Lifers, dead ahead!

Don't know if these shots are impressive to others but they thrilled me. On finally lowering my camera, I thought, "Where did everyone go?"

I walked back up to the bus, but the bus was gone. Um... was I abandoned (Shades of Disneyland desertion circa 1969/70). I decided to walk to the far end of the boardwalk.

Mirror Lake Boardwalk

Thank heavens, when I got to the end of the boardwalk, the bus driver's assistant approached me. "Did you get nice photos," she politely asked. I nodded and looked toward the bus, that was up at this new spot on the road.

"I'm the last one back, aren't I?" I asked sounding as stupid as I felt. She was too polite to answer me, but I was the very last person back on the bus and all were waiting for her majesty, 'moi' to get her bum back in her seat. Oh. Well.

No, am not insane, they
are New Zealand Tomtits

A mile or so down the road there was a rest room stop. On birdie watch, I photographed (poorly) two birds on the building roof. Tom Tits! Lifer Score!







So suddenly I am up, on my world bird life list, by Paradise Shelducks, New Zealand Scaup, possibly Gray Teals [Update: nope on the teals] and New Zealand Tomtits. Ooooh, so far so good! Too bad giant cement birds do not count on life lists.

Forest Ferns

Mountain view out of top of bus

Then the day got slogged down. The bus stopped. In front of it was a long, long line of stopped vehicles. All were blocked by the avalanche that had much earlier in the day almost canceled the day's tours. There was nothing to do but stare out of the bus windows....

Kea Parrot

And THAT my friends is how I blew my chance at another lifer bird. You see, some passengers got off the bus, but I did not, as first of all, I am idle, and second of all, I didn't know how long we had before the bus took off and I didn't to a repeat of me being the last one back on the bus. And what did I miss? Seeing this... the parrot I've dreamt of seeing in the flesh & feather. Just before the bus finally took off (after an hour of waiting) the people in the seat across from us showed us a photo they had just taken that looked pretty much like this one above. They took the pix of one of several Keas, eating treats tossed by cars awaiting road clearance. Wild Keas are notoriously tame.

Well just SHOOT me why don't 'cha!? Have long, longed to see a Kea - famous for nibbling the rubber off of car windshield wipers, for eating the kidneys out of live sheep (eewwww!) and for other general smart birdie antics. I have got to see a live wild kea before we leave New Zealand! [Update: Rats. Maybe next time]

Not seeing Keas is a bummer of biblical proportions - for me anyway.  I had to make do with the nifty scenery we saw when we by-passed the avalanche as we continued our way south.

Finally we reached the day's end game - Milford Sound. From there we boarded a blue ship with 3 tall masts. 

Milford Sound Harbor

Everyone was starving so the first order of the afternoon was lunch on board. Then it was up to the top deck to watch for dolphins, whales, seals and hopefully, penguins. The boat soon sailed, headed towards deeper water I believed. Tall waterfalls dotted the tall, heavily treed cliffs that flanked us on 2 sides. Many waterfalls roared, mist blooming up and outward as we sailed by.

I believe the main reason I photograph scenery is to kill time while waiting for wildlife to show up. And they did show up, like the basking Southern Fur Seals.

Fat and fit Southern Fur Seals

Check out the striations on the left side of the rock they're napping on

Alas. No Yellow-eyed or Little Penguin swimming about (DAMNITALLTOHELL!), but there were lovely & playful were Bottle-nosed Dolphins.


When we pulled back into the pier, I knew the day was nearly over, reversing the journey we had earlier in the day, passing again through Te Anau and choice spots, then back to our penthouse.  Did I mention we were staying in a penthouse? Only a dozen times? Right.

 

An Alternate 'Down Under'

John, Paul, George & Ringo waving
farewell to us at the San Francisco Airport

My travel buddy, Ila & I were at the airport around 3PM for our red-eye flight to New Zealand at 11PM. There was time a plenty to exchange our American Dollars for Kiwi Pounds  and window shop. The flight was 12.25 hours for which I was awake for all but an hour - watching 4 movies enroute. Yes, I know.


On landing in Auckland, New Zealand, we got separated. I managed the IQ test, the automatic 'scan your passport route'. Ila went to the lines with live humans, and there, she got a New Zealand visa stamp. I, however, in an affront to to my person, did not get a Visa stamp. I am appalled and in deep mourning. No more automatic gates for me, I want my $#&@ visa stamp.

Straightaway, we headed to our next flight, from the North Island to the South Island. I tried to stay awake but ended up making zzzzs for 95% of the short flight. Here's a 31 second snippet of the flight to Queenstown, South Island. It was stunning how different these mountains looked in comparison to my familiar Sierras.


On landing it was interesting how although the airport was ultra modern, the disembarking was right onto the tarmac.

Auckland airport is  quite the giant & super-cool mall

Took a while for Ila and me to hit the adorable souvenir stores, candy shops and all. What caught my eye? STUFF!



Loads of laser cut wall hangings and coffee table tchotchkes.



Everything from hand lotion to soaps were either infused with manuka honey &/or festooned with kiwi birds...   

Manuka Honeyed Lanolin

Kiwis!

   
               

We live in the future!

                                                     


And what discovery in this new-to-me country most wowed me? That one could buy M&Ms and get 3 varieties all in one bag! Possibly the best  idea since polio vaccinations.,

Sadly I talked myself out of buying even one single bag of M&Ms, or any souvenir - too early in the journey.

Finally dragging ourselves away from the airport shops, we hailed a taxi. Our driver was generous of heart and gave us sight seeing tour on the way to our hotel, Peppers. For the record, the taxi cost 50NZ£.

From the hillside, in the taxi we looked over Queenstown

At the Peppers hotel, the receptionist looked at us with sad puppy eyes and told us we were not getting the lake view apartment that was booked for us. Nope. We would have to settle for instead the penthouse. No. You read that right.

We were of course upset at having to up our luxury level, and so early in our trip, but what choice did we have? Caviar over hotdogs, it was.

Now, the thing is, we left San Francisco on Tuesday and somehow we arrived in Queensland on Thursday. Not sure where or how we lost Wednesday. Maybe it fell out of the jet over Fiji. It was only 3PM (although it felt 8 PM-ish) so after settling ourselves in the penthouse, we went right back out. Taking another taxi to where we bought tickets to ride a gondola.

Bottom center of this pic is where we rose up from - um.. STEEP

Can you see how steep this gondola carries passengers? 

People bungee jump from this aerial platform. Yeah. Me neither.

At the top of the gondola ride was a complex of gift shops, restaurants and the like. I was super drawn to a lot of the stuff for sale but again, managed to control myself. The ride up to 'Bob's Peak' is all the name given for the high altitude spot. It seems to be quite a popular draw for locals as well as visitors to Queenstown. Ila and I had dinner 'up top', and while we were at it we also bought our breakfast for tomorrow, to take back with us to Peppers. South Island is an island so just as in Iceland, food, is to be had at top dollars. Good news... no tipping required in either country, so there's a break.

Once we descended back to the base of the gondola ride, we used the information phone to call for a taxi back to our hotel. While we waited, we looked at the Kiwi and Birdlife Park area. Shockingly, I declined to go in. I know! At first I had thought they had wild Kiwis there but nope, just caged ones, so I'm holding out for wild Kiwis.

Ila viewing the 'negative space' Kiwi at the park entrance

Grand birdie entrance way

After our quick peek at the first sign of Kiwi birds, we took a cab back to our penthouse and called it a long, L-O-N-G, L-O-O-N-N-G day.



Here, if you care, is a quick look around the penthouse. Please, first take off your shoes. Dirt, you know.

Man Bait

Man Bait

For about a decade, an anniversary issue, gold Trans Am car has been stashed under the awning by my garage. The car belongs to my friends Ron & Jeannie. I've long called the old car 'Man Bait'. Even though it can scarsely be seen underneath a thick coating of dust, any male handyman, tree trimmer or gutter cleaner catching a glimpse of the old car inevitably goes all stupefied, then bursts into a barrage of guy joy over that silly car.

"WHERE DID YOU GET THAT ANNIVERSARY ISSUE...BLAH, BLAH, BLAH!"
Honestly - if men stared at me the way they stare a that old car, I would have been married & divorced 6 times by now.

While men stare stupidly at the not-exactly-gleaming heap, I explain it is not my car to sell it, nor does the car's owner wish to part with it. The handymen then snivel, and slink away disappointed.

Yeah, that car's man bait I tell you - man bait!

This afternoon Ron and Jeannie came over to fetch Ron's beloved Trans Am. Although Ron drove it to my side yard years ago, it long since ceased to run as it was never kept up at all. So poor old Man Bait had to be hauled by tow truck.

Nope, ain't giving Legos up any time soon

Miffed Jeannie, has begged Ron to just get rid of the car, but that would be like asking me to stop birding or give up my Legos.

Oh, shut up, lots of grown-ups love  their Legos. I'll give mine up when they pry the bricks from my cold dead hands.

And where was I, oh yeah, Man Bait. The tow truck arrived and loving loaded it for its 'ride' to Ron's house. So long old Man Bait! I wish you well.