from the deep south to the westlands

hokitika sunset

fern texture

beautiful bark

terminus of fox glacier

milford panorama

one of the many views from the discovery center observatory at milford sound

i stood under the waterfall, it was like jumping all the way into the sound, the roar of the water was deafening! 

massive waterfall in milford sound

fur seals sunning in milford sound

beach stream

 ulva island tiny bamboo orchids-amazing.

view from beach on ulva island towards stewart

ulva island

silly kea looking for a snack

the crown fern waking up on ulva island

dinner next to the fire place on stewart island with mom and dad

greetings from fox glacier

we are just below mt. cook, the highest peak in australia and new zealand, this mountain is the generator of both the fox and franz josef, 2 magnificent glaciers.  we hiked the terminus of the fox yesterday and will do the same with the franz josef today, mom and dad aren't to keen on actually hiking on the ice, and i have certainly done my fair share.  we spent the previous night in wanaka, a quaint alpine lake town just north of queenstown, which is the tourist mecca of the south island-we totally bypassed it! on our way to wanaka we were able to see the kingston flyer, an old steam locomotive still in operation from the late 1800's.  we watched them load it with coal and turn it around on the turn-table, quite impressive for nerdy train enthusiasts like us! te aneu was where spent the 2 previous evenings, this is the gateway to the fjordlands region of the country.  we were able to go on a nature oriented cruise in milford sound and visit the discovery center which is where there is an observation tube 40 meters into the water so visitors can watch the wildlife that has been tricked into living at a much shallower depth than normal due to the unique conditions of the sound and the layering of the fresh and salt water.  the sound itself really doesn't lend itself to description, like much of the south islands scenes, it is breathtaking and awesome on such a scale that words can't possibly due it justice, but i will try! we took the boat from stewart island to bluff and then drove to te aneu on monday morning, this was quite a variance in scenery! we left stewart island in the rain, soaked on our walk to the boat, but considering the choice weather we were fortunate enough to experience on our ulva island tour the previous day so we couldn't complain! the ulva island flora and fauna tour was outstanding... our guide was incredibly knowledgeable and was so excited to be showing us the wonders of this rare and ancient island.  the island has never been altered, it has the potocarp-hardwood forest that has been allowed to evolve there for millions of years, again difficult to describe the beauty and the birds, we saw each one of the birds she was hoping we would encounter, we knew we probably wouldn't see the elusive kiwi as they are mainly a nocturnal bird.  yet... we did get to see 2 in captivity in hokitika.  again, the lagniappe we have experienced on this journey is second to none!  our cabin on stewart island was picture perfect with a view of horseshoe bay and the town of oban.  we had many birds visit us on our deck and got a real feel for the feathered locals.  our trip over on saturday morning was a vomit comet, the weather was still quite difficult to navigate, i enjoyed it but i also love skydiving and roller coasters! considering we did loose a night on stewart island, it worked out quite well in the end.  it is difficult to believe this trip is coming to a close, it's been a dream come true.  i hope this finds you enjoying a wonderful winter december day.
take care, karengrace