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Pictures of the first part of our New Zealand trip (South Island)
(Dunedin Invercargill Milford Sound Queenstown)
 
Part 2: Queenstown Wanaka Mt. Cook Arthur's Pass Greymouth Lewis Pass Kaikoura Nelson Fox Glacier (Westcoast)
Part 3: Fox Glacier (Westcoast) Wanaka Queenstown Alexandra Oamaru Dunedin
Part 4: Dunedin – Christchurch – Picton – Ferry to the North Island – WellingtonMasterton Hastings Wanganui New Plymouth Taupo
Part 5: Taupo – Rotorua – Napier – Gisborne – East Cape – Bay of Plenty – Coromandel
Part 6: Coromandel – Seabird Coast – Whangarei – Bay of Islands – Doubtless Bay – Cape Reinga – Hokianga – Tauranga
 
 
 
 
 
New Zealand Map
 
 
 
          Map of
        the Pacific
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
latest picture: March 14, 2008
  • click a picture to see details
 
 
 
 
 
 
01  On February 19, 2008, we are
unloading the whole content of our
LandCruiser in a shed inside of the
harbor of Port Chalmers near Dunedin
to be inspected by the “MAF”
(Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry)
 02  Sheep is grazing peacefully
everywhere. This definitively gives
us the sensation of being in
New Zealand
03  The sun is rising over Otago
Harbour. We are able to enjoy this
beautiful view from our room at
“Billy Brown’s Backpackers Hostel”
in Port Chalmers
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
04  We are driving up the steep hill to
“Billy Brown’s Backpackers Hostel”,
from where we enjoy a beautiful
panorama and the quietness we so
long missed in Southeast Asia
 05  The Dunedin Railway Station
is a master piece of this Southerly
town and unique in its elaborate
architecture
06  Farms protect themselves with
all kind of fences against the forces
of nature. We took this picture
from the Highcliff Road on the
Otago Peninsula
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
07   We are looking from the Highcliff
Road on the Otago Peninsula to
“Otago Harbour” and its settlements
08   The Taiaroa Lighthouse is
greeting from the Northern cliff
of the Otago Peninsula
09   This fur seal at the mole of Aramoana,
12 miles North of Dunedin, just spotted
us. We saw eight in one evening
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
10   Meeting with same minded
world travelers: In Dunedin, we
spend a lovely afternoon together
with Doro, Jupp and their “Monster”
11   No, we did not change our vehicle!
But we had a lot of fun with Paul, Michelle
and Tate’s Trike, driven by a Lexus
engine (4000cc/300 hp) on their farm
in Abbotsford, where they kindly
welcomed us into their family
12   We enjoy the great hospitality
of Michelle, Paul and their son Tate on
their farm in Abbotsford near Dunedin
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
13   Once more we have to change
an axle shaft. Luckily the damage
happened on the private driveway to
Paul and Michelle’s farm in Abbotsford
14   After the successful repair,
our LandCruiser climbs up
Baldwin Street in Dunedin,
“The World’s Steepest Street” (?!)
15   A touch of “home country”
(Switzerland) feeling on the farm
 

 

 

16   The “Southern Scenic Road”
South of Dunedin surprises us constantly
with new and more beautiful scenery
17   Oyster Catchers along the
sea shore are always a lovely sight
18   Now and then we are passing
a farm; otherwise we experience
nature and loneliness in its truest
 

 

 

19   A meadow of blooming flowers
that recalls memories of Switzerland
20   An Emu is walking peacefully
through dry grassland
21   A wonderful and rare sight: An
incredible variety of wild growing and
blooming flowers along the road
 

 

 

22   Screaming seagulls
gather on a meadow
23   Rural New Zealand: Bales
of hay ready to be stored in
the barn for the winter
24   Sheep are grazing peacefully
on a meadow. Apparently, New
Zealand counts more than 40 millions
 

 

 

25   A group of cows is caught
with the first rays of the sun
26   Apart from sheep and beef,
deer meat is another source of
income. Apparently, it is sold mainly
to Germany and Switzerland
27   Even a group of young Alpacas
are looking curiously towards us
 

 

 

28   The afternoon sun is lightening
“Nugget Point” (about 5 miles
South of Kaka Point), which is
battered by roaring waves
29   On Roaring Bay near “Nugget
Point”, a single ‘yellow eyed’
penguin emerged from the sea
and hops towards its nest
30   Hit by the exact sunlight,
these rocky outcrops shine like
„gold nuggets“. They gave
“Nugget Point” its name
 

 

 

31   A cute little bird is sitting
contently on a tree branch
32   The descend to the untamed,
lonely and wind swept Tautuku Bay
on the Chaslands Highway ("Southern
Scenic Route"), about 28 miles
Southwest of Owaka. The weather
forecast looks for a stormy cold front
33   Another view over another
lonely bay in the South (Tahakapa
Bay, not far from Tautuku Bay),
where stormy weather, rain and
wind are never far away
 

 

 

34   Rolling hills, ponds and “Toe Toe”
-plants are a common sight along the
“Southern Scenic Route” in the
South of the South Island
35   Another peaceful scene in the
“Catlins”, the region between Dunedin
and Invercargill: Ducks at sunrise in
Waikawa (“Southern Scenic Route”)
36   The sea is in uproar at Curio
Bay in Waikawa. Without warning, our
LandCruiser got its full salty shower
 

 

 

37   An antarctic storm is
approaching, dropping the
temperature to freezing point
38   Across farm land, we walk to
“Slope Point”, New Zealand’s
Southernmost point on the South
Island, and pose for a picture
39   Macrocarpa trees bent from
years of beating by fierce winds at
“Slope Point”. They tangle their
branches to survive and not to topple
 

 

 

40   A male sea lion is emerging
from the sea at Waipapa Point –
Southeast of Invercargill,
followed by its female
41   Fresh Kelp is swept in great
quantities to the beach at
Waipapa Point
42   The sea lion couple crawls up
the grass covered sand dune. It
plays for a while, then lies
down and falls asleep
 

 

 

43   We approach the mountains in
the East of the South Island towards
“Milford Sound”, situated in the
Fjordland National Park – one of New
Zealand’s biggest tourist attractions
44   Lake Gunn – North of Te Anau
– is one of the pristine lakes on
our route to Milford Sound
45   Eglinton Valley is spreading
out in front of us with the mountains
of the Milford Bay area already
greeting in the back
 

 

 

 

 

46 47 48
Impressive alpine sceneries on the Eastern side of the ¾ mile long Homer tunnel to Milford Sound,
drilled through solid rock between 1935 and 1953
 

 

 

 

 

49   Morning atmosphere at low
tide at Milford Sound – one of New
Zealand’s biggest tourist attractions
– with mountains rising vertically
4’000 ft. from sea level .....
50   ..... and waterfalls that
tumble from steep slopes
into the sound far below
51   Evening atmosphere at
high tide at Milford Sound
 

 

 

 

 

52   The stones and rocks in many
of the wild mountain rivers are
covered with deep red lichens
53   In the wet climate of
the South Island, mushrooms
grow in abundance
54   Camping life pure in the
mountains around Milford Sound
 

 

 

 

 

55  The mighty Cleddau River at
Milford Sound pushes itself down a
narrow gorge, called “The Chasm”
56  From Te Anau to Queenstown,
we first drive through dry grassland
57  We are always tempted to take
pictures of grazing sheep, so
typically for New Zealand
 

 

 

58  The heritage steam train in Kingston –
called “Kingston Flyer” – on the Southern
end of Lake Wakatipu, 30 miles South of
Queenstown, is a tourist attraction and
steams 11 miles South to Fairlight
59  Barren cliffs, a deep blue fjord,
pandanus trees and distant mountain
peaks – this is our panorama at
lunch time at Lake Wakatipu
60  The road to Queenstown is
winding along Lake Wakatipu and
offers an outstanding scenery
 

 

 

61  Queenstown on Lake Wakatipu –
also know as New Zealand’s “adrenaline-
activity-capital” – is an elegant and popular
tourist destination. It is often compared
(a little exaggerated?) with St. Moritz in
Switzerland .....
62  ..... “Jetboating” in rivers is
just one of the numerous
crazy outdoor sports .....
63  ..... Get your own idea, how
easily and fast you can get
rid of your money!
 

 

 

64  Another beautiful view:
Kelvin Heights, rather a residential
area opposite of Queenstown
65  The trees along Lake Wakatipu
between Queenstown and the 30 miles
Northwest situated village of Glenorchy
are starting to change to autumn colors
66  A beautiful sight: The panorama
near Glenorchy is reflecting in Lake
Wakatipu – once more a fantastic
stretch to drive
 

 

 

67  The rising sun is touching the
Humboldt Mountains near Glenorchy –
a scene we unfortunately could enjoy only
from within the car with closed windows
due to the swarms of attacking sand flies
(New Zealand’s pest of the West)
68  On our way to Paradise, 10 miles
from Glenorchy, we cross the Rees
River, another of the many mighty New
Zealand rivers. In this region – besides
some others – the movie “Lord of the Rings”
was shot and now “X-Men” again
69  View towards Paradise,
where the gravel road
ends at the Dart River
Continuations:
Articles in newspapers about us in New Zealand:
Article: "Still cruising after 628,000km", Otago Daily Times - February 27, 2008
Article: "Trip into the record books", Hokitika Guardian - April 3, 2008
Article: "Around the world in 23 years", Bay of Plenty Times - July 12, 2008