I got up at 4 AM (!) and was on an airport van at 5 AM with a boxed breakfast, which I had time to eat before boarding my flight to Sydney. After four flights and some anxious moments with flight delays, I arrived back home at 12:20 AM on the same day (regaining the day I lost on my departure from home). It was indeed the vacation of a lifetime with a variety of great experiences and wonderful memories, one I’ll never forget.
On our last tour day, we took the ferry from Auckland to Waiheke Island and had a leisurely driving tour, stopping at Rangihoua Estate for olive oil tasting and at Mudbrick Vineyard for lunch.
Auckland Harbour
Waiheke Island
Olive oil tasting, Rangihoua Estate
Wine tasting and luncheon, Mudbrick Vineyard
We had a wonderful farewell dinner and exchanged hugs and goodbyes – a great end for a great trip. I went to bed early to prepare for a very early wake-up call for the return trip home.
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We left Queenstown early after breakfast on our charter plane for Rotorua and visited the Te Puia Maori Cultural Center in the Whakarewarewa Geothermal Valley. We had a Maori welcoming ceremony with songs and dances and a tour of the Maori Arts and Crafts Institute. Pohutu Geyser was spectacular.
Weaving School, Maori Cultural Center
Carving School, Maori Cultural Center
Presentation of traditional Maori songs and dances, Maori Cultural Center
Pohutu Geyser, Rotorua
After a quick tour of Rotorua, we drove to Longland’s Dairy Farm for lunch and then through Matamata (but the Hobbiton set was, sadly, not on our tour) and on to Auckland.
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This morning we sailed across Lake Wakatipu to the Walter Peak Sheep Station, where we viewed a sheep shearing demonstration and sheep dog trial prior to lunch. We also had the opportunity to feed the deer, sheep and lambs. We talked about how wonderful it must be to wake up to such beautiful scenery every morning.
On the deck of the TSS Earnslaw
Sheep shearing demonstration
Lamb feeding
Our afternoon was free, and I chose to visit the Kiwi Birdlife Park. I was fortunate enough to spot two kiwis in one of the kiwi houses, but due to photography restrictions could not take any photos in the kiwi house (kiwis are nocturnal and are sensitive to light). There were other native New Zealand birds to enjoy as well. I concluded my day with some shopping in town.
Yellow Crowned Parakeet, Kiwi Birdlife Park
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This was an absolutely fantastic day with great weather and beautiful scenery! We took a bus ride on Skippers Road (occasionally looking down with some trepidation into Skippers Canyon) on route to an exhilarating jet boat ride on the Shotover River. During that ride I encountered my first Lord of the Rings location – the Ford of Bruinen from The Fellowship of the Ring.
Departure from the pier
Jet boat ride on the Shotover River seen from a canyon overlook
Location for the Ford of Bruinen (Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring) on the Shotover River
Due to the arrival of threatening clouds, our helicopters took us back to the airport rather than to the top of Bob’s Peak as originally planned. The clouds cleared away, fortunately, so after arriving back at my hotel I walked to the Skyline Gondola and rode up to the Bob’s Peak terminal for beautiful panoramic views of The Remarkables mountain range and Queenstown.
Queenstown and the Remarkables from the top of Bob’s Peak
I returned to the hotel in time for my long-awaited Lord of the Rings tour. We visited several of the movie locations as well as the town of Glenorchy and had our picnic lunch in “Lothlorien”.
Lord of the Rings movie locations:
Oliphant and Stewed Coneys (The Two Towers), Twelve Mile Stream
Lothlorien (The Fellowship of the Ring), near Glenorchy
Isengard (The Two Towers), near Paradise
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