Nine Days Down South

Everyone said you really have to see the South Island to discover the other side of New Zealand.  Yes, it rang true for us during our visit to Dunedin, Queenstown, and Milford Sound.  It was different and uniquely charming in its own Kiwi way.  Be aware--we saw only the lower half of the Southland during a spell of gorgeous, sunny, hot summertime weather (our rain gear stayed packed in our bags).  The Kiwis told us they live for these special days as the weather is "not always this perfect".

Travelling always involves hassles.  Yes, we had our moments although they were few and far between while on the South Island.  Flying from New Plymouth was a special treat.  No passports, identification or electronic detection of any kind were needed to be shown at the domestic airports.  There was little or no screening of our bags and no added extra fees.  My carry-on bag was too heavy but "no worries".   We shifted around a few things to another carry-on bag.  Our airline flights were on time  and we were happy customers.   The American airline companies could learn from Air New Zealand (just voted  "Best Airline" in customer service).

Our rental car (from Dunedin) was a spiffy newer Ford Escort (keeping up with the Hovdas from the USA).  Unfortunately, it meant more confusion as we were back to turning on the wipers every time we wanted to signal for turning.  Driving around the scenic southern route was easy with little traffic.  Gabe and I did not taken any motion sickness pills.   These scenic roads were relatively straight by Kiwi standards. On previous driving trips, one or more of us (Alec included) had been stricken with motion sickness.

Towns were few and far between so we had to make sure we have plenty of gas.  Please take heed and get gas, especially in Te Anau.  They meant it when they warned everyone to fill up the tank. Al  neglected to stop for petrol in Te Anau (last stop) before heading up thru the mountain passes and then Homer tunnel.  Good thing that those smaller cars have good gas mileage so Al didn't have to sweat the 200 km back. 

We have been advised to visit Milford Sound as a World Heritage Site and one of the "Seven Wonders of the World" per Rudyard Kipling.  We were not dissappointed.  Our driving route of narrow highways, one-lane bridges, and spectacular Fiordland mountain passes into Milford Sound was breathtakingly beautiful.   Our highlight (along with 30 tourists) was an on overnight cruise on The Milford Mariner.  During our boat trip in the Milford Sound, we had plenty of time for chatting with fellow passengers from around the world or kayaking in a quiet bay.  Gabe swam briefly in the cold glacier water while we watched from the deck.  Later in the evening, New Zealand fur seals entertained us as they caught fish around the boat.   Here were a few pictures from the Milford Mariner.

Photos Gallery of SouthLand

On the Way to Milford Sound

New Zealand's Yellow Eyed Penguins

A Special Evening on the Otaga Beach with Penguins:

New Zealand has many endangered species, including the rarest (5,000-6,000) of the world's 18 species of penguins.  We were on a 6 hr. tour including 3 hours exploring a remote beach on the Otaga Pennsulia, near Dunedin.   It was a real treat to see the Yellow Eyed Penguins, which were larger than expected with a loud distinctive call.  We expected them to spend time in sandy burrows on the beach.  No, the penguins swam up to the shore after a day of feeding at sea.  Then, they proceeded to hop up the steep, rocky coast to their nests in the tall grasses.  Never did we imagine the penguins  to be so close or to see so many little birds in their native habitat on a tour.  We felt so lucky as the weather was perfect and the penguins (along with the Royal Albatross, Hooker Sealions, and New Zealand Fur Seals) were out and about as we hiked around the beaches and rocky coatline.  The weather had been "rubbish" for many days since Christmas till the sun popped out during our tour

After a windy hour drive from Dunedin, we walked down a steep trail where the penguins were in grassy nests, close to the hiking trail.  The penguins ignored our small group of 8 and one or two even waddled across the beach in front of our group.  We had to move out of the way of the penguin.  Once on land, they were vulnerable to various predators.  The penguins were sitting on their nests or hovering near their chicks as it was breeding season.  These penguins (like many animals) have had a struggle to survive since the arrival of humans and predators introduced by man. 

This guy swam in from the ocean and waddled up the beach while we stood nearby to watch. 







We also saw the smaller Blue Penguins of New Zealand.  We had no pictures of this type of penguin as it was slightly hidden from view in a wooden box.  This species has also been near extinction, despite man's actions to save it.  There have been several Blue Penguins discovered dead on the beaches (including Oakura) of Taranaki.  At first, the experts thought they died from the Red Tide.  Later, it was decided that the Blue Penguins died from starvation.  So sad---these small birds (along with many other species) may become extinct during Gabe's lifetime.

Beach time for Brothers

Sunset at Oakura Beach

Summertime in Taranaki:  Those glorious days of no school, lounging around, and hanging out by the beach.  It  has been light till 9 PM in Taranaki.  We are outside all day and into the evening with the lovely sunsets from the Oakura beach.  Gabe and Emily have discovered a nice doctor/nurse couple (live next door) with a trampoline.  It has meant hours of jumps and flips on the tramp--almost as good as back in Iowa.  Guess what Al has been doing?

Al has been at work for nine days after returning from Fiji.  He has been getting into the groove of the Kiwi medicine-- lots of meetings, computerized hospital records, and tea time twice a day.  The staff  at Base Hospital and Hawera Community Clinic (one hour south of New Plymouth) typically like the American doctors (including Tom a doctor from Virgina doing a one year assignment). 

His case load was smaller than in the States but it has picked up with coverage for doctors away on vacation.  Call has been a bit anxiety provoking as to what cases may necessitate a trip into the unit.  However, he has had no worries with call after it is over as there has been no extra work (only one telephone call).  In fact, he has been on call for only three week day nights since we arrived in New Plymouth in Oct. 2009.   

He finishes up tomorrow (Friday) and we will leave for a medical conference on bioethics in Dunedin. The three of us, including Gabe will spend extra time (9 days) to explore the South Island.  Everyone says you need to do the South Island to really know New Zealand so we go south.  There will be more sunsets and more days of summer in Dunedin, Queenstown, and Milford Sound of  the South Island.

More Photos of Fiji

Em having a good time

Why did the cow cross the road? We saw many cows wandering by the road. Also, the locals frequently walked or waited by the side of road for a big bus without air conditioning to arrive.


Al collecting some sugar cane from the plantation. It was pithy, starchy, and lacked a sweet flavor that you would have expected from sugar. All day and night, the locals were burning their fields of sugar cane. Then the burned canes (resembled blackened sticks) would be loaded onto trucks or a small train for delivery.


Check out the entrance sign for MacDonald's cafe in Nadi, Fiji. The workers were attired in brightly colored tropical shirts and they greeted us with a hearty "Bula". Also, there were Kentucky Fried Chicken cafes in Fiji as well as New Zealand. Unfortunately, the New Plymouth McDonald's could not process our gift cards that we had gotten as a Christmas present. They were confused and had never seen gift cards from McDonald's.

Jungle Time in Fiji

Next thrill--zip lines. Emily decided that we needed something different and a break from many days of diving. We had previously signed up for shark diving but we would have to drive an 1 1/2 hours back to Shangri-La. After a deep family discussion, we changed course and spent 3 hours in the rain forest.

Emily had previously heard about zip lining from Alec. He had a great experience with zip lines thru the Thailand jungle. Our Fijian villa manager had done it three times and he also recommended it. The local company had gotten publicity in a special Discovery TV feature. Others in our group had made special vacation plans to include a this jungle adventure after seeing the television program. One Australian family had travelled over 2 hours (one-way) by shuttle van.

It was definetly worth it. Here was Al who looked like a pro. Mo needed a little extra encouragement from the family. After a short time, I was able open to keep my eyes open while zipping thru the rain forest.


Here we were, suspended in air and waiting for our next run. I was getting better with jumping off platforms; in the darkness, in deep caverns, or suspended high above the ground. Gabe was always a happy guy as he got to be at the head of the line. We all got the hang of it with longest zip line of 220 m., a total of 8 different lines. The rides added up to about 800 m (about a half a mile) of zip lines. After the first time thru, we got the chance to go again. I decided to sit out the second round and be the photographer from down below.
I enjoyed the opportunity to talk with the Australian parents who waited for their teenagers.


Way to go girl. Em got the hang of it. We traversed thru the back country rainforest, over mountain canyons, and across a coastal river, about 30 minutes east of Pacific Harbour, Fiji.


Hmm, wonder who was this agile monkey? The guides had been doing upside-down stunts so guess who gave it a go? We all gave it thumbs up, including the Philadelphia Eagles football players, several months earlier.

Under the Sea

More Fiji photos from dive trips



Emily and Al





Moorish Idols






Schools of Tropical Fish








Colorful Coral

Dive Mates on Our Last Dive in Beqa Passage

Here we are, after completing our open water dives with satisfied feelings and happy spirits. On our last dive trip near Pacific Harbour (at the eastern end of the Coral Coast), we descended to 23 m. Our dive companions were from Australia and Sweden as the Beqa Lagoon attracts divers from all over the world. This area is well known for the world's best soft coral and shark research. Unfortunately, the shark dive at Beqa Passage had no openings during our stay in Pacific Harbour. Maybe, next time or on another dive we may have such an opportunity.

Al and Gabe managed to squeeze in an extra dive while Emily and I relaxed on the surface. They swam thru two underwater caves and they fought the strong current of the Beqa Passage. Al luckily found a shell but we returned it to the ocean as there was something living inside.  Gabe stayed underwater longer than Al who had to surface. His air from his tank was running low so he surfaced early. He had exerted alot of energy for swimming against the strong current. Wisely, he came up ahead of Gabe and our Fijian dive instructor.

Close Encounters with Sea Lice, Sea Turtles, and Shy Manta Rays

We had a good experience with diving in Fiji.  Thankfully, none of us experienced motion sickness.   However,  several advanced divers were sick from the choppy water of Beqa Passage (on our last dive). Gabe eagerly sought out  the chance be the designated photographer with our new underwater camera. The camera worked well, even at depths of 15 m. that exceeded the recommended depths of usage.



More fish from the The Golden Reef and House Reef (both near Sigatoka).  On these beginning open water dives, we swam to depths of 12 m (36 ft.), 18 m. (44 ft.) and 16 m.(48 ft.) with our Danish instructor, Morten.. On one dive as we ascended, we had a stinging sensation of  pin pricks on our skin.   Emily was worried that she had nitrogen bubbles but it was easily explained by the ship captain.  We had unexpectedly encountered "sea lice".   Since we had worn shortie wetsuits, our exposed skin on our legs and arms had contacted the lice.  We dabbed the itchy skin with cotton balls of diluted vinegar to ease the discomfort.  These little sea creatures looked like little thin strings suspended in the water near the top 4 meters.  There was a mild skin irritation from contact with the lice as a reminder for several hours.



Getting our underwater diving legs as Mo and Al get comfortable with scuba diving.  It was a dream for Al and I  but we had the typical excuses as to why we never did it back in the States. We decided to make the jump and do it after talking with several Kiwis about diving at a party,   It was lucky for us as we did  the open water dives in warm Fijian water rather than the turbulent cold Tasman Sea  (shh-don't tell our  instructor from  Taranaki Dive Shop).  




Gabe got the lucky job as our cameraman.  It was a tricky assignment.   One had to be aware of the coral so as to not bump it but close enough to capture the beauty.  It would  have been difficult to retrieve it from the bottom of the ocean if one accidentally dropped it.  Also,  Emily would have been displeased.   She had graciously shared her new Christmas present with the family for our trip.  Unfortunately, the big ones got away.  We did not get the pictures of the seat turtle (about the size of Emily), a large lion fish in the waters near the resort, or the 2 mantra rays swimming by the ocean bottom..  Maybe next time, as we are planning some upcoming dives, possiblys at the Great Barrier Reef.

According to Alec, this camera was a popular item for fellow Semester at Sea classmates.  Even our dive instructor in New Plymouth and Tran, the local adventure guide had this camera model.  Other divers in Fiji  hauled around big camera rigs in large plastic waterproof cases.  However, our little digital underwater camera did the job and we never lost it during our travels (so far).  It was good  advice from Alec.  The camera proved to be light weight, shock proof, waterproof, packable, and indestructible.  Best of all, we captured many happy moments for lasting memories of our underwater adventures.

Farewell to Alec and Fiji Time

Saying farewell is always hard. We had returned to Auckland after the Christmas family holiday. Alec was getting ready to depart for the States with an overnight layover in L.A. He stayed up all night in Hollywood with former students from Semester at Sea. Then, he safely returned to frigid winter time in Iowa to resume his studies in Dental School.


Happy faces upon arrival in Nadi, Fiji to continue our adventure. We flew out of Auckland to spend seven days exploring the Coral Coast. It was arguably the most spectacular scenic drive in Fiji. The calm crystal-clear water covered shallow reefs and white sandy beaches were everywhere. The road twisted, turned, and cut back into the bush clad hills. Along the way, there were sugar cane fields, swaying palm trees, and Fijian villages.


Exploring the sandy beaches near Sigatoka, Fiji at sunset. It was a glorious sight as our first day in tropical paradise ended.


The sunset view from our beach in Shangri-La Fijian Resort. We had planned to finish our open water certification which we started in Taranki. All four of us successfully completed our final stage of four open water dives in Fiji. What a special place to dive with the great underwater visibility (15 meters or more), warm water (28 degrees C), and schools of tropical fish.