Sunday, March 15, 2009

Holiday Update: Australia and New Zealand

Because I can't seem to keep this blog updated enough, I've decided to include my wife's update. She emails this out once in a while. Obviously, more often then I!

Here goes....... I hope you enjoy it.



HELLO FRIENDS, JANUARY 2009

WE SPENT OUR CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS IN SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA AND DRIVING ALL OVER BOTH ISLANDS OF NEW ZEALAND. SO WE THOUGHT YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE TO SEE SOME PIX OF OUR TRAVELS IN THIS PART OF THE WORLD.

WE ALL FELL IN LOVE WITH BOTH COUNTRIES. CESCA ESP. LOVED SYDNEY AND MAY APPLY TO SYD U. WHEN THE TIME ARRIVES. IT'S A GREAT CITY. OUR VISIT TO SYDNEY WAS ENHANCED BY OLD FRIENDS TONY & KELLY REDHEAD WHO WERE GREAT TOUR GUIDES AND LOADS OF FUN.

ONE OF THE MOST ICONIC BUILDINGS IN THE WORLD, THE SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE LIVED UP TO ITS REPUTATION.

ABORIGINALS PERFORMING BY THE HARBOR

UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY

NEW ZEALAND WAS ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PLACES I'VE EVER BEEN. WE SPENTA GOOD PART OF EVERY DAY SAYING, "WOW!" THE AIR, THE OCEAN, THE MOUNTAINS, LAKES, RIVERS & STREAMS WERE ALL SO BEAUTIFUL & PURE.

HOLE IN THE ROCK AT BAY OF ISLANDS:

I HOPE THEY USED ORGANIC SPRAY PAINT ON THESE SHEEP. I GUESS IT WSA MEANT TO GET OUR ATTENTION & IT DID!

LOTS OF SHEEP & LOTS OF COWS IN NZ. THESE ARE OUR FAVORITES. THEIR FACES LOOKED LIKE DOGS.

NEW ZEALANDERS LIKE THEIR ADVENTURES, ESP JUMPING OFF HIGH THINGS. CESCA & WALKER BUNGIED, SWOOPED, SHWEEBED, ZORBED AND FLEW. JOE & I WERE CONTENT TO REMAIN WITH THE TERRA FIRMA. I REFUSED TO LET THEM JUMP OFF THE AUCKLAND SKY TOWER WHICH HAD TO BE 35-40 STORIES UP. SELFISH OF ME BECAUSE I WAS MORE WORRIED ABOUT ME HAVING A HEART ATTACK WHILE WATCHING THAN THEM NOT MAKING IT SAFELY BACK TO EARTH.


ROTORUA IS THE MOST SACRED AREA OF NZ FOR THE MAORI. IT HAS AMAZING GEOTHERMIC ACTIVITY INCLUDING GEYSERS, BUBBLING MUD POOLS AND SULPHURIC STEAM ESCAPING EVERYWHERE. PEOPLE LITERALLY JUST PUT OUT A SHEET OF METAL TO BBQ ON IF THEY HAVE A VENT IN THEIR BACK YARD.

INTERESTING MAORI CULTURAL EXPERIENCES TOO. NEW ZEALANDERS SEEM TO REALLY HONOR & RESPECT THE NATIVE PEOPLE AND THE MAORI SEEMED TO HAVE HELD ON TO THEIR CULTURE WHILE STILL BEING VERY MODERN NEW ZEALANDERS. WE ALSO BECAME FANS OF THE ALL BLACKS, THE NEW ZEALAND RUGBY TEAM THAT DOES AN AWESOME MAORI WARRIOR DANCE AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH MATCH.



WEST COAST OF THE SOUTH ISLAND
AND PANCAKE ROCKS

ON CHRISTMAS EVE WE WENT ATV-ING AND THEN TOOK A HELICOPTER RIDE UP TO FRANZ JOSEF GLACIER FOR A HIKE. ITS THE ONLY PLACE IN THE WORLD WHERE A GLACIER IS RIGHT NEXT TO A SUB TROPICAL RAINFOREST. THE ICE BECOMES THIS BEAUTIFUL BLUE BECAUSE THE WEIGHT OF THE NEW SNOW SQUEEZES THE OXYGEN OUT OF THE ICE BELOW. THE WATER WAS DELICIOUS. THE RIVERS AND LAKES NEAR HERE HAVE AN UNBELIEVABLE COLOR THAT THIS (LOUSY/FRUSTRATING) CAMERA CAN'T QUITE CAPTURE.




WE STAYED IN LOTS OF B&B'S AND ENDED WITH A FARM STAY ON A RARE BREED FARM WITH ALPACAS, PIGS, SHEEP (OF COURSE) GOATS AND ALL MANNER OF STRANGE LOOKING CHICKENS, ROOSTERS & DOVES, TO NAME A FEW. EVERY SINGLE PERSON WE MET IN NZ WAS FUN, FRIENDLY AND WELCOMING. IF YOU EVER GET THE CHANCE TO VISIT THIS PART OF THE WORLD, DON'T PASS IT UP!

STILL WAITING FOR OUR FIRST GUESTS IN INDIA,
KAREN, JOE FRANCESCA & WALKER

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