Tiki Tour pics, part III

This weekend finished my Mom and Angel's whirlwind tour of New Zealand. I was there to see them off last night in Christchurch. Sorry to see them go, it was nice to have family by my side here in New Zealand (a new sensation). Sometimes it really does feel so far away here. Speaking for myself, it was also nice to show off the country. I may not be a Kiwi, but am still quite proud of the natural beauty that New Zealand has on offer.

We enjoyed a sunset view of Wellington's rocky South coastline at Moa Point.

Mom and Angel pose in front of Larnach Castle high on the hilltops of the Otago Peninsula



The little fellas at Penguin Place were a highlight of the trip.

This beautiful sandy beach on the peninsula is where yellow-crested penguins come ashore each night. The waddle in and make their way over the dunes and scrubby hills, where chicks are waiting to be fed. The adults are model parents, taking turns in their fishing and caretaking duties. Fur seals shared the beach.

The mysterious and fun Moeraki Boulders, a short drive north of Dunedin



Smiling for the camera at Mirror Lakes, one of many stops on the scenic road to Milford Sound

Mom and Angel prepare to board the Milford Wanderer for an overnight cruise on Milford Sound in Fiordland National Park.

My cabin mates were overwhelmed and brought to tears of joy at the spaciousness of our accommodation aboard the Wanderer. Good thing they downsized to one bag, eh?

Stirling Falls at Milford Sound. Milford has hundreds of waterfalls, but it was so dry that only the permanent ones like Stirling were still flowing (relying on snow melt). Even with less flow, it was still spectacular. The Wanderer cruises right up to it, putting the front of the boat practically right under the waterfall!

New Zealand Fur Seals lazily basking on rocks in Milford Sound.

Despite appearances and my Mom's wet weather gear (worn for warmth more than rain protection) the weather at Milford was surprisingly dry. Fiordland gets an average of 6-7 metres of rain per year, making a completely dry trip very rare. I think it sprinkled a couple times, but that was it. Very lucky!

Sunset on Milford Sound



These crabby sheep knew what was coming...

No New Zealand holiday would be complete without trying your hand at shearing sheep, right? Well, we got our opportunity at Waiau Downs Farm Adventures. It was much harder than I was expecting, and I am truly impressed that pros are able to do several hundred per day.

Angel shearing a sheep! She did very well. I think I'll keep my day job though. My sheep got away and had to be chased down by our tour guide. Very embarrassing.

Angel also tried her hand at driving on the wrong... (ahem!) I mean left side of the road! She did great--only hit a few sheep and one cow. My mom is in the backseat, but you cannot really see her because she is covered up with luggage.