We departed New Zealand today, but before we left we visited the Willowbank Wildlife Reserve in Christchurch.  The main reason for visiting was to see the elusive Kiwi.  Kiwis are nocturnal so the reserve created a special enclosure for the birds in which the lighting was adjusted to trick them into thinking it …

Today was our last full day in New Zealand.  Our only activity was to drive from Queenstown back to Christchurch via the west coast.  We had chosen this longer route to see more of the mountains and the Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers.  Unfortunately clouds rolled in before we made …

Today was our big trip from Queenstown to Milford Sound for a nature cruise.  Milford Sound is actually a fiord (as it is spelled in New Zealand), not a sound.  We took a tour bus to and from Milford Sound and were entertained and educated by our driver.  He is …

Today started with a jet boat ride on Shotover River just north of Queenstown.  Personal cameras weren’t allowed on the boat, and if you watch the video at this link, you’ll see why.  They were kind enough to sell us some photos which we’ve included below. After the jet boat, we drove two …

Today was mostly a travel day from Dunedin to Queenstown.  After we checked into out new hotel, we visited the Skyline which is a small group of attractions near the top of the mountain to the north of town.  Here are several pictures from the day.

We had another busy day in New Zealand.  Here are today’s photos:

Our second full day in New Zealand had us visiting the International Antarctic Center then traveling from Christchurch to Dunedin along the eastern coast of South Island.  The weather was overcast so we didn’t see much of the countryside.  Here are a few of our pictures from the day.

We had an amazing first full day in New Zealand.  Here are some pictures of our adventures.