Friday Sept 25/09
There you have the Australian vacation. Now we have to get back to work. Great planning for a trip but it is always nice to be home. Those of you that followed this I say thanks. It's just a day by day log of where we are and we can use it to tell the story with the pictures. Oh ya, you will need about 3 to 4 hours to go through the pictures. Right Mate. DDT
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Bye Australia
Thurs Sept 24/09
Well the time has come and the vacation is coming to an end. We woke up early, couldn't sleep. Excited about our trip to Canada. Bags are down stairs in the lobby ready for the shuttle bus. Being early is good, we walked right up to the Air Canada counter and got our boarding passes and then we could spend the time in the shops. Time to board. These jets are nice, big lots of leg room and they gave us three seats in the middle and no one with us. They have TV. Radio Games Music right in your seat. Need something to pass 15 1/2 hours away. We flew in the dark all the way. Arrived in Vancouver right at day break, changed planes and heading for Calgary. There wasn't a cloud in the sky so we could watch the ground all the way across the Rockies. We could see the school near Kristine's place. Ric and Cocoa picked us up at the airport, nice to see both. We are very tired my eyes feel like they are full of sand. We went to bed for a few hours so we could be with the kids later. We must of done something wrong. We have to do Thursday all over again. Nice to be home. DDT
Well the time has come and the vacation is coming to an end. We woke up early, couldn't sleep. Excited about our trip to Canada. Bags are down stairs in the lobby ready for the shuttle bus. Being early is good, we walked right up to the Air Canada counter and got our boarding passes and then we could spend the time in the shops. Time to board. These jets are nice, big lots of leg room and they gave us three seats in the middle and no one with us. They have TV. Radio Games Music right in your seat. Need something to pass 15 1/2 hours away. We flew in the dark all the way. Arrived in Vancouver right at day break, changed planes and heading for Calgary. There wasn't a cloud in the sky so we could watch the ground all the way across the Rockies. We could see the school near Kristine's place. Ric and Cocoa picked us up at the airport, nice to see both. We are very tired my eyes feel like they are full of sand. We went to bed for a few hours so we could be with the kids later. We must of done something wrong. We have to do Thursday all over again. Nice to be home. DDT
Red dust day
Wed Sept 24/09
I think we are ready to head back to Sydney. We drove 1691 klms and 104 litres of gas while here. We saw lots of N.Z. and all it's beauty. WE checked the luggage to make sure we didn't have any sharps in the carry on. Wendy paid the room and I sat the bags in the line up to load onto the shuttle bus. A short drive to the International and unload the bags. What's this our plane is cancelled. More than one plane is cancelled. We lined up anyway to get our boarding pass. Why no plane? Finally Wendy went to another desk and spoke to someone to get any infor she could. A Dust Storm has closed Sydney Airport and Harbour and all of down town Sydney. I find that hard to believe but anyway we get boarding passes to Brisbane and then we will go to Sydney from there. When we get to Brisbane we could see this red brown haze and lots of wind from the window. We landed, and then customs and then back onto another plane heading for Sydney. By the time we took to the air the sky was getting red. Almost 8000 feet when we flew out of the dirt. I'm sure Brisbane Airport was the next to close. When we got into Sydney there was red dirt everywhere and everything was dirty inside and out. They said we were lucky to get a place to park the jet as the airport was full and backed up people everywhere. We watched the news in our room then went for a nice supper. We did check on the internet if our plane to Canada was still booked. It was. Good night. DDT
I think we are ready to head back to Sydney. We drove 1691 klms and 104 litres of gas while here. We saw lots of N.Z. and all it's beauty. WE checked the luggage to make sure we didn't have any sharps in the carry on. Wendy paid the room and I sat the bags in the line up to load onto the shuttle bus. A short drive to the International and unload the bags. What's this our plane is cancelled. More than one plane is cancelled. We lined up anyway to get our boarding pass. Why no plane? Finally Wendy went to another desk and spoke to someone to get any infor she could. A Dust Storm has closed Sydney Airport and Harbour and all of down town Sydney. I find that hard to believe but anyway we get boarding passes to Brisbane and then we will go to Sydney from there. When we get to Brisbane we could see this red brown haze and lots of wind from the window. We landed, and then customs and then back onto another plane heading for Sydney. By the time we took to the air the sky was getting red. Almost 8000 feet when we flew out of the dirt. I'm sure Brisbane Airport was the next to close. When we got into Sydney there was red dirt everywhere and everything was dirty inside and out. They said we were lucky to get a place to park the jet as the airport was full and backed up people everywhere. We watched the news in our room then went for a nice supper. We did check on the internet if our plane to Canada was still booked. It was. Good night. DDT
Last day in New Zealand
Tues Sept 22/09
We have to leave Turangi and start back to Auckland. We have lots of time so will sight see as much on the way as we can. We are going up the west side of the country. We will not go right to the west coast. We drove through the Pieriora Forest Park then up and over to Waitomo Caves. We sat at a camp table to eat and decided that the caves wasn't something we wanted to do and the time could be used to see more country.We drove up highway 39 got onto the state highway # 1 freeway. Tom did a fine job of getting us back to the front door of our Hotel without a single problem. Believe me it was nice to walk into our room and not have to drive anymore. I'm happy we are safely back. Lots to talk about and tell you about the country. DDT
We have to leave Turangi and start back to Auckland. We have lots of time so will sight see as much on the way as we can. We are going up the west side of the country. We will not go right to the west coast. We drove through the Pieriora Forest Park then up and over to Waitomo Caves. We sat at a camp table to eat and decided that the caves wasn't something we wanted to do and the time could be used to see more country.We drove up highway 39 got onto the state highway # 1 freeway. Tom did a fine job of getting us back to the front door of our Hotel without a single problem. Believe me it was nice to walk into our room and not have to drive anymore. I'm happy we are safely back. Lots to talk about and tell you about the country. DDT
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Pacific Coast
Mon Sept 21/09
Today we are driving to the east coast at Napier. The scenery was great and Wendy got to see lots of sheep. Napier is a city that was destroyed by an earth quake in 1930 and rebuilt in two years to look just as it was before the quake. We bought a walking tour of the city centre that the guide spoke about the rebuilding and a trust called Art Deco Trust that set controls up for the rebuilding. It was quite a story and a great idea for tourism. This made the city the newest and most modern city in the world at the time. They have kept this stile ever since. Then we drove south and east to the end of the road. That's right the end of the road. Its a cliff if you drove any farther. We washed our hands in the ocean and then started back. It is only 241 klms but the time driving is long, almost 4 hours. Great drive and a long day. DDT
Today we are driving to the east coast at Napier. The scenery was great and Wendy got to see lots of sheep. Napier is a city that was destroyed by an earth quake in 1930 and rebuilt in two years to look just as it was before the quake. We bought a walking tour of the city centre that the guide spoke about the rebuilding and a trust called Art Deco Trust that set controls up for the rebuilding. It was quite a story and a great idea for tourism. This made the city the newest and most modern city in the world at the time. They have kept this stile ever since. Then we drove south and east to the end of the road. That's right the end of the road. Its a cliff if you drove any farther. We washed our hands in the ocean and then started back. It is only 241 klms but the time driving is long, almost 4 hours. Great drive and a long day. DDT
More driving
Sun Sept 20/09
Seems to be more to sight see at the north end of the lake so we drove back to Taupo and checked at the lake boat ride tour. It was 1 minute from leaving so climbed on for the tour. The tour was about 2 hours long and was alright. The information about the lake was one thing I wanted to find out more about and was surprized about some of the history. Wendy make lunch at the room so we stopped in a park and ate. We decided it would be a good idea to stop at a honey farm and look around to see what they had to offer. You should do this sometime, they have more stuff than you can shake and finger at. I didn't know they can make so much from honey! We heard if we were at the damn at 2:30 we couold watch the water release. They let a lot of water go just to control the river level. Then a stop at a glass blowing factory made us feel we couldn't afford this stuff. Nice to look at anyway. Wendy said it would be too heavy to pack anyway. Just down the road the sign said 2 klms to a Natural Thermal Valley. They use the steam and hot water to make power and pipe the heat to the city for home heating. We stopped for 1/2 hour in Taupo and looked around in the shops then headed back down the lake to our room. One more day of sight seeing N.Z. DDT
Seems to be more to sight see at the north end of the lake so we drove back to Taupo and checked at the lake boat ride tour. It was 1 minute from leaving so climbed on for the tour. The tour was about 2 hours long and was alright. The information about the lake was one thing I wanted to find out more about and was surprized about some of the history. Wendy make lunch at the room so we stopped in a park and ate. We decided it would be a good idea to stop at a honey farm and look around to see what they had to offer. You should do this sometime, they have more stuff than you can shake and finger at. I didn't know they can make so much from honey! We heard if we were at the damn at 2:30 we couold watch the water release. They let a lot of water go just to control the river level. Then a stop at a glass blowing factory made us feel we couldn't afford this stuff. Nice to look at anyway. Wendy said it would be too heavy to pack anyway. Just down the road the sign said 2 klms to a Natural Thermal Valley. They use the steam and hot water to make power and pipe the heat to the city for home heating. We stopped for 1/2 hour in Taupo and looked around in the shops then headed back down the lake to our room. One more day of sight seeing N.Z. DDT
Raining
Sunday Septt 19/09
We woke to it raining. At 9:00 the lodge is having a coffee and sizzlers breakfast and meet the tour companies and the other guest. Rain or not we are not just going to set around, so we took off driving. It wasn't far that the rain stopped with some fog and cloud hanging around. The drive took us over to Taumarunui a small town that seems to be in the center of farming and logging. Sheep and dairy is big. On highway 4 we stopped for noon tea and then drove to Raurimei. Here they had to make a spiral cut through the mountain so the train could make the grade. It just so happened a train came along and we could see the different levels it travels. We drove to the National Park and turned on highway 47 and ended up at Mount Ruapehu ski resort. Great views from up here. We had enough for the day so headed for the hotel. Great country. DDT
We woke to it raining. At 9:00 the lodge is having a coffee and sizzlers breakfast and meet the tour companies and the other guest. Rain or not we are not just going to set around, so we took off driving. It wasn't far that the rain stopped with some fog and cloud hanging around. The drive took us over to Taumarunui a small town that seems to be in the center of farming and logging. Sheep and dairy is big. On highway 4 we stopped for noon tea and then drove to Raurimei. Here they had to make a spiral cut through the mountain so the train could make the grade. It just so happened a train came along and we could see the different levels it travels. We drove to the National Park and turned on highway 47 and ended up at Mount Ruapehu ski resort. Great views from up here. We had enough for the day so headed for the hotel. Great country. DDT
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)