The Two Amigos Visit New Zealand-another 15000 Mile Epic Trip

[steve williams]

In Summary

I hope that with the multitude of photos I have posted everyone has gotten an idea just how beautiful New Zealand is. The sky is bluer than anywhere I have ever been. It should be on everyone's bucket list. One other thing....the night sky is upside down and backwards as to what we see at home

The south island as stated is about the rugged outdoors with mountains, glaciers and rain forests whereas the North Island was about serenity, lakes and rivers

Initially when this trip was planned I was worried if I could do the vigorous 8 days of Back R. It showed me that the best way to get to know a country is to hike through it. I was also worried about the length of the trip as we had hoped to spend time in Australia afterwards but that didn't work out but Australia is also on my bucket list

To all you Kiwi members here at WBF, I take my hat off to all of you as I salute you for living in such a beautiful place.

Peace

 

[RussR]

as you can see from all of these photos the South Island was all about mountains, glaciers, water forests and fjords.

South Island to my eyes was far prettier than the north Island which seemed to be all about beautiful lakes, rivers and trout fishing

They were both beautiful in their own right and for me the south island was spectacular. Each time I turned my head there was a better picture than the one I had just taken

Well Steve what more can I say but to wholeheartedly agree with your conclusion about the differences between the North and South Islands.
Christchurch was my birth town and home until October 2017 when I moved to the Gold Coast of Australia. Christchurch unfortunately lost many of it's wonderful historic buildings in the huge earthquake's of 2011 along with 185 lives and it will never be the same, six years of insurance and government hassles I settled my claim and moved to Australia .
But New Zealand will always be home to me and looking at these beautiful photo's has made me very homesick.......
I am pleased you had a wonderful time in Aotearoa ( NZ ) it is a special place.

I travelled to the States back in 2015 landed in San Francisco then onto Denver for the RMAF ,after which we headed back to SF and stayed at a vineyard in Napa Valley area which reminded me very much of North Canterbury NZ with rolling hills landscape etc.
I am really enjoying your photo's of the glacier , my partner and I walked into the Fox glacier 1999 when it was extended down to the base of the mountains , Franz Joseph Glacier has always been a longer hike in .
Cheers
RussR

 

[WLVCA]

Wow! Looks like you had quite a trip. Thanks for sharing the photos.

 

[NorthStar]

Thanks Steve for sharing, I truly enjoyed looking @ the pictures.
I feel it was a wonderful trip.

 

[steve williams]

Thanks to all for your kind words. It was a trip I’ll never forget

 

[steve williams]

Well Steve what more can I say but to wholeheartedly agree with your conclusion about the differences between the North and South Islands.
Christchurch was my birth town and home until October 2017 when I moved to the Gold Coast of Australia. Christchurch unfortunately lost many of it's wonderful historic buildings in the huge earthquake's of 2011 along with 185 lives and it will never be the same, six years of insurance and government hassles I settled my claim and moved to Australia .
But New Zealand will always be home to me and looking at these beautiful photo's has made me very homesick.......
I am pleased you had a wonderful time in Aotearoa ( NZ ) it is a special place.

I travelled to the States back in 2015 landed in San Francisco then onto Denver for the RMAF ,after which we headed back to SF and stayed at a vineyard in Napa Valley area which reminded me very much of North Canterbury NZ with rolling hills landscape etc.
I am really enjoying your photo's of the glacier , my partner and I walked into the Fox glacier 1999 when it was extended down to the base of the mountains , Franz Joseph Glacier has always been a longer hike in .
Cheers
RussR

Hi Russ

I neglected to make comments in the thread about the devastating earthquake in Christchurch and all the lives lost. When we toured the city the amount of rebuilding around ground zero was enormous. We drove by holes and areas being excavated. At one point our guide showed us a large hole in the ground and told us that is where the Holiday Inn used to stand.

I loved the quaintness of the city and we found a great hole in the wall restaurant by the river and botanical gardens ( I think it was called Antigua) where I had my first flat white coffee and a minced pie. I loved it. As to us having a wonderful time in your country that was an understatement. There were times hiking up those mountains or through the rainforests where it was an almost spiritual event. I had commented that the Dalai Lama had visited Castle Hill and was so taken by the surroundings that he said it was the spiritual center of the universe.

 

[NorthStar]

I was just researching the earthquakes history of New Zealand, a recent one in 2016.
And two within six months ... 2010-2011 ...Major damage and lives lost.

* They just had one this morning:
• https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12208452

 

[steve williams]

I was just researching the earthquakes history of New Zealand, a recent one in 2016.
And two within six months ... 2010-2011 ...Major damage and lives lost.

* They just had one this morning:
• https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12208452

Earthquakes are a real thing in NZ Bob because of the two tectonic plates which have collided and are rising upwards. We were shown during our Back Roads Tour the 2 different type mountains that exist there

In Milford Sound on our ferry ride you can see a crack in the face of the mountain ( it’s in one of the photos I posted IIRC) Milford Sound is over 100 meters deep and the mountains surrounding them are yet another 1200-1500 feet tall. The island is active. Hence the volcanoes and the earthquakes.

But if NZ is on anyone’s bucket list I hope my photos and brief monologs would convince you to do such. Beauty and nature was everywhere. All humans should go because tourism is a must to the people and once there see it all because from bottom to top the topography and climate changes quickly. Bluest skies and freshest air and totally different night sky that we see. In fact I got the greatest astronomy lesson of my life one night with Marty outside our cabins at one of the wilderness lodges. Marty as I’ve said is master of everything he puts his mind to. I’ve never seen a sky as clear or bright. Marty knows his astronomy and with s green light laser he pointed out every star we saw etc There were 2 apps we used

Night Sky
Sky Guide

To you especially Bob up there in Vancouver it’s your type of vacation.

 

[the sound of Tao]

Steve,
Amazing adventure! The kiwis (NZ) and the skips (Aussies) have had a long and very much fun relationship. We have been on the same side together (also as allies and the occasional gun fodder for our grand European masters) and also on great opposing sides (cricket, rugby, footy and the dole queue in Bondi). We do rather love our Eastern Island neighbours even when they keep moving on over and yes we are equally just their humble great western island at times. But NZ is the most painterly, visually rich and fabulous landscape (and culture) and ours is just poles apart between the austere wildness of our south coast to the tropical wonder up north and the extraordinary great, dry, endlessly old and beautifully worn centre centre and the brave Wild West, and our mini-me southern island of Tasmania. Australia is such an ancient landscape (and original culture).

Your pics of NZ are absolutely fab and make me want to go over there and hang out just one more time.

 

[steve williams]

Tao

it was my greatest desire to get to Australia and that was the plan but when NZ blossomed to 18 days we couldn't make it happen. I will be there for sure and hopefully hang out and spin a tune

I have relatives BTW in Sydney

 

[the sound of Tao]

That would be awesome Steve, I’ll hopefully be down to just one or two pair of speakers by then. I am recently indecisive.

Sydney is really great, a wonderful harbour city and I still commute down there a few days a week for work and when I am missing the fabulous traffic queues and the vibe and buzz of the city.

I live up north by the lake (Lake Maquarie) and close to the beaches and to wine country. Not exactly NZ but not without virtue.

 

[steve williams]

Count on it

 

[RussR]

I was just researching the earthquakes history of New Zealand, a recent one in 2016.
And two within six months ... 2010-2011 ...Major damage and lives lost.

* They just had one this morning:
• https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12208452

Hi Northstar,
The earthquake in September 2010 was big 7.1 on the Richter scale but reasonably deep and quite a distance from large residential and commercial buildings ,as opposed to the Feb 2011 Quake of 6.3 which was a shallow event and under the Lyttelton Port Hills .
When I arrived home finally to find that one 200lb loudspeaker had leaped approximately 5 metres across my listening room and the other had landed on top of my large valve mono block amps trashing them ,my Stratosphere turntable was in pieces the Graham 1.5TC arm was shattered ,But the Transfiguration Temper cartridge survived......absolutely unbelievable .But that was not a priority as finding shelter food and water was the order of the day.
Earthquakes are just something you have to factor in living with a country with tectonic plates disecting them ,I'm sure Steve have felt a few when he lived up in the San Francisco Bay area .
I'm pleased Steve and company had a wonderful time in NZ as that is what matters the most ,the experiences that photo's can't quite capture leave a lasting memory.

 

[RussR]

Hi Russ

I neglected to make comments in the thread about the devastating earthquake in Christchurch and all the lives lost. When we toured the city the amount of rebuilding around ground zero was enormous. We drove by holes and areas being excavated. At one point our guide showed us a large hole in the ground and told us that is where the Holiday Inn used to stand.

I loved the quaintness of the city and we found a great hole in the wall restaurant by the river and botanical gardens ( I think it was called Antigua) where I had my first flat white coffee and a minced pie. I loved it. As to us having a wonderful time in your country that was an understatement. There were times hiking up those mountains or through the rainforests where it was an almost spiritual event. I had commented that the Dalai Lama had visited Castle Hill and was so taken by the surroundings that he said it was the spiritual center of the universe.

Steve,
That sounds wonderful, if you were near the botanic gardens and the museum with the art centre on the other side of the road you must have been close to the Christchurch Public Hospital and the Antigua boat sheds where they hire kayaks for exploring the Avon River .
I very pleased your team had such a positive experience as it makes this kiwi a proud chap.

 

[steve williams]

Steve,
That sounds wonderful, if you were near the botanic gardens and the museum with the art centre on the other side of the road you must have been close to the Christchurch Public Hospital and the Antigua boat sheds where they hire kayaks for exploring the Avon River .
I very pleased your team had such a positive experience as it makes this kiwi a proud chap.

That was exactly where we ate lunch. Small world isn’t it

 

[PeterA]

Thank you Steve for sharing your wonderful photographs. I did not realize how beautiful the country is. Looks like you had a great time.

 

[RogerD]

Steve...Thank You! No wonder people move to NZ..absolutely beautiful. What a marvelous trip.

 

[RussR]

That was exactly where we ate lunch. Small world isn’t it

Hi Steve ,
That is a nice spot ,and I could not agree more that the world truely is a small place .

 

[Kenc]

Looks like you had a nice trip! We were there in 2011. There was a major rugby tournament in progress and a game featuring the All Blacks was happening in Dunedin when we were there. We had to stay at a deer farm about 20km out of town. This unique place and it's eccentric owner was one of the major highlights of our visit. The whole country just has a nice vibe...sort of like a compact Canada with meat pies .

 

[ddk]

Finally had a chance to go through all the photos, looks like an amazing trip and wonderful time, happy for you! One thing I didn’t find was the 2nd Amigo, who was he?
David