Monday, March 28, 2016

Trip Over!

Back home safe and sound.  Good trip!

Friday, March 25, 2016

Back in USA!

In LA awaiting flt to PHL.

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Fun with mirrors

Playing around with mirrors at the museum.

Last Group Photo

Taken at the Te Papa Museum here in Wellington, New Zealand.
We start the long cramped journey home at O'Dark-thirty tomorrow morning. 3 flights to get home.

Oh, woe is us.......

Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Wellington Jump

Wellington, New Zealand behind me.

Roxy Theater

Me with Jamie Selkirk and Valentina, two of the co-owners of the Roxy Theater here in Wellington, NZ. 
Jamie is famous for his work on a number of movies, including Lord if the Rings.  Mny of these films were made right here in Wellington.  We visited a small portion of their studios and some of locations where some scenes were shot for Lord of the Rings.
See the links below for more info:
http://www.roxycinema.co.nz/page-about-us.php

http://www.nzonscreen.com/person/jamie-selkirk/biography

http://urbismagazine.com/articles/inside-story-valentina-dias/

Wellington Pub

Supposedly the oldest Pub, the "Thistle", in Wellington, NZ.  After morning touring some of us stop for a quick beer.  We have nothing scheduled for the afternoon. 
Trip will soon be over !

Monday, March 21, 2016

Fire Jumping Video

https://vimeo.com/159759236

Fire on beach.

Punakaiki Resort, NZ.  We had a campfire on the beach in front of our hotel.
Look for another post for a short video.

Bearded Miner Co.

Had tea and biscuits with the Bearded Miners.  Reefton, NZ.  Gold mining area.  Guy on left is not one of the Bearded Miners.  He is local guide and historian.

Sea addl.....

The sea at my hotel and along the west coast here is the Tasman Sea.

Sunday, March 20, 2016

Unknown tourists

Just some other people and me.  Have no idea who they are.

Sea

View fm my hotel room next to the ocean, actually a sea I think.

Non-human

I take pix with non-humans too.

Waterfalls

On the walking path going to Franz Josef Glacier in the rain.

Me in the rain.

Got my raincoat on plus the umbrella they gave us to use for the hike on the way to Franz Josef Glacier.

Franz Josef Glacier

It was raining and fog and clouds so can't see the glacier- it is in the v shaped portion of the Mtns.

Slow internet

Internet very slow at this location for next couple of days.  Unable to upload blog info and pix.  Maybe this text only post was will get through.

Saturday, March 19, 2016

Rain

We are on the western side of the Mtn divide here at Fox Glacier.  The rainy rainforest side so lots of rain.  Only 1 night here.  Very nice hotel though!
Picture fm my balcony.  All the surrounding MTS are obscured by clouds.

Group Pic

Drinks before dinner, Fox Glacier, NZ. 
(Note head "ornament" on one guy- Ben)

Brew Club for Men

George, Tim (Tour Guide), and Ed.
Fox Glacier, NZ.  (Yes, that is the name of the town)

Whitebait fishing

Tim, our intrepid tour guide, shows us how they catch whitebait.

Another boat pic

Another shot of us on the jetboat on the Dart River, NZ.

Rose Garden

Departed Queenstown via bus, heading to our next location, Fox Glacier.

Hard cider

Had one with veg soup for lunch along the road enroute to Fox Glacier, NZ.

Friday, March 18, 2016

Dart River jet boat, New Zealand

https://vimeo.com/159469450

Photobomb

Finally, someone photobombed me!  Yea!

Jet Boat

Dart River speedboat.

Dart boat

Me on a rare calm moment on the dart jet boat.

Thursday, March 17, 2016

View 2

Another view from top.  Queenstown.

View

View from top of gondola ride.  Queenstown.  Note parasail in picture!

Gondola

Riding the gondola up the Mtn to get a good view of Queenstown, NZ.

Milford Sound, NZ

Pic fm the boat.

Boat

On a boat cruise around Milford Sound.

EG Jump

On the way to Milford Sound, NZ.

Brew on boat

Had a brewski on the boat.

Tiawanese Jumpers

Talked a few tourists into doing a group jump shot.  On the way to Milford Sound, NZ.

Milford Sound, NZ

Heading to Milford Sound this morning.  THE place to see in NZ.  Quite chilly this morning but wx forecast is for sunny all day.  That will help to warm things up to maybe 70-72°.  Will be happy if it gets to high 60's.  We are far south and closer to Antarctica.

Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Correction- Arrowtown

That's SHEEP magnet, not sleep magnet!

Wifi

WiFi good at this hotel in Queensland!  Good speed.  They even have CNN on TV.

Arrowtown, NZ

Bought this sleep magnet that makes sheep sounds when you press it.  Had to get a pic with the magnet and the cashier.

Landing in Queenstown

Looking out the window of the plane.

View

View fm my hotel room in Queenstown, NZ.  Very nice hotel!

Landed Queenstown, NZ

Not my plane but same as the one we flew in on.

Air NZ

Need more

We need these signs in the U.S.

Off to Queenstown, NZ

Departing Rotorua, NZ.

Rotorua, New Zealand

Going to do some zip lines tomorrow.

Rotorua Ziplining group pic

A real fun group fm various countries.

Rotorua Ziplining

Me.

Maori show

A cultural show this evening with food cooked the old way.

Brew, brew, brew.....

Another new one.

Hot stuff

An area of past volcanic and geyser activity.  Now just steam vents and very hot water and earth.  Lots of vegetation around it.

New brew!

On draught at our hotel.

Monday, March 14, 2016

View

View fm my hotel room in Rotorua, NZ.

Rotorua Jump

Time for another jump!

Radio People

A radio station had a booth at the Pasifica Festival the other day in Auckland and I had to get a pic with them.

More semi-selfies

Some Asian tourists.