Bartons Go Global

With the cruise booked (that sounds so posh!) We had a few days to hang around and drive ourseleves to Manipouri. So we headed up to Glenorchy for a night and then back along the entire length of the lake to Kingston. Bumping into the Kingston Flyer, the old steam train, along the way. Then on to Manipouri to join the overnight cruise. The weather report was not brilliant and infact the mercury had already dropped a few degrees already and there was snow forecasted!

The cruise of Doubtful Sound envolved a lake cruise to the other side of one lake, then a bus ride over a pass to Deep Cove where we joined the actual cruise boat itself, the Fiordland Navigator. The boat was excellent with about 70 people on board it was the right size to meet people but not too big. We had a ball through the entire time including a trip in canoes along one of the bays and looking at seals and one of Ellies highlights seeing the dolphins playing in the wake of the boat even if it was short lived and just as we sat down for dinner!

The boat moored up for the night in a sheltered bay and then at 7am we were sailing again, the captains call was a little early for the children! We cruised throughout the sounds and even stopping at the head of one of the arms (cove) and killing the engines standing still out on the deck among the showers and cold winds listen to the sounds of nature, a very memrable moment.

Then in no time at all we were back at deep cove to catch the bus back over the pass with snow falling. So it was a real thrill and a wonderful time especially with meeting others people from all over. Even AL admitted it was worth it, oh and I forget to mention that we even got upgraded from cattle class to 2 ensuite cabins! My father would be most proud!

With the weather fairly bad we decided not to head up to Milford Sound but to make a turn for the most Southernly point instead.

So with a very good weather report we decide to tempt the West Coast first in a anti clockwise direction. This is the place that gets over 50% rainy days so we are excited at such a good forecast. After a quick pit stop for suzzie (the camper) at her home base in Nelson we set off down the coast. The weather was fantastic and we stopped off at lots of different places checking out the seals, blow holes etc etc. We also tried the art of free camping to great success, laying up in a car park or such for free nights stay. We stayed in some wonderful places all along the west coast and mainly away from any crowds. One of the highlights was a guided trip on Fox glacier. We had already self walked ourselves up to the Fanz Joseph glacier but we took the plunge and paid for a guide. At first it was looking a little tame and pretty much the same as our free walk the previous day but soon we were hiking on past the terminal face and soon on to the ice itself. The kids were very exicited and pestered the guide almost to death but he was brilllant with them and we all really enjoyed the trip and of course the t-shirt and fridge magnet buying at the end! We tried to hang around a little to get a really good view of Mount Cook but the clouds were against us and we just about saw the top through the mist.

The weather has changed a lot coming down the west side with a much more autumn feel to the place and a few nights being really cold but we are coping well tucked up inside the van.

Another drive inland saw us in Wanaka (Wonaka) for a few days walking and even swimming in the lake all be for a few minutes! We really liked the area and with clear days to enjoy the views it was a wonderful place. But time marches on and it was soon time to head on further to Queenstown. We stopped by the home of Bungy jumping but due to a rather stiff back Al refused to jump! It was really me with the stiff back and its a good enough excuse. So we kicked off our shoes and relaxed a little around the area. Its a beautiful place but the town itself is a bit mad especially comapered to the wilds of the west coast. We managed to stay about 20km from the town in a an old gold mine called Arrowtown which was wonderful with all the tress turning yellow along the valley. We resisited most of the adrenelin activities but did book a family trip for an overnight cruise on Doubtful Sound as a special wedding anniversery present. More of that latter.

We have some of the pics from the trip on the following link

www.hislaptop.co.uk/bartons

so have a look sometime, more pics due soon.

We cant believe that we have been in NZ for 5 weeks already but we have made it across the Cook Strait ( Hilary, it was calm as anything and no I was not sick!!) adn have arrived on the South Island. We were met with rain off the ferry and a very wet first night but we are glad to reprt the sunnt warm weather has returned for days 2 and 3 (so far).

We popped into see the owners of Suzzie who live outside Nelson and ended up staying the night on their drive(Yet another free nights camping, AL budget book is very pleased) and the kids enjoyed a few visits around all their animals. Have you ever ben up close and personnel to an emu? Rather large and scarry at first but they are only able to eat and run away or so they say. Anyway we have driven from Nelson through wonderful countryside and rivers to the West coast and are currently in Westport. We are washing and stuff before heading south along the West coast to the Glaciers and more mountains for the next week or so then on to Wanaka and Queenstown or so the plan is unless something else comes up.

With the sun still shinning we will let you know of our next adventures shortly.

Lots of love to one and all and yes we are missing home a little and I gues missing you aswell but this place is amazing so we are putting up with it fro a few more weeks.

The Bartons