New Zealand or Bust!: Picture post from Karen's Parents visit

Hi all,

I know its been longer than I wanted for posts. However, My parents ran me ragged! We were super busy showing them around so I'm basically going to just throw our favorite pics up with commentary under them for you all as its to hard to go back to detail. I'll separate the pictures so you know what city/area we visited. Enjoy!

Stop #1- Wellington ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Did: Zealandia, City tour, Te Papa Museum (not pictured)

( First day my parent's long trip we went to Zealandia in Wellington where I introduced them to the native birds. Comically, mom and I kept 'arguing' that the Tui was black (according to mom) and blue (according to me). I was proven correct by a park guide and also got this beautiful shot)

(We took the track around the park even across the huge dam at the back!)

(I was super excited to get this shot of the blue backed kingfisher!)

(We took a city tour and got to see a unique all-wood church, The american sailors over here during WWI apparently frequented it. There is even an omage to this in an american flag that isn't in the pic)

(Mom an dad in the VERY WINDY wellington. Luckily the rain on our tour cleared long enough to see on the top of the mount viewpoint)

(Mom and dad enjoyed the ride on the famous wellington cable car)

(Mom and Dad in the Japanese garden of friendship on our city tour. In that latern is a flame stared from the fire of hiroshima. It was given when they decided to ban nuclear in NZ)

Stop #2 Queenstown~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Did: Queenstown Gondola, Milford Sound tour, City walking and Fergburger

(Dad and I in the Gondala riding up the hill)

(mom and Dad at the top of the hill! Looks fake, doesn't it?)

(Dad holding a "kiwi" in one of the souvenir shops we popped into)

(Mom and dad enjoying their 1st fergburger!)

(We are in Kiwi land now!)

(Mom and dad posing in front of the park entrance)

(The park trails went all the way down that point. Great walk)

(On our way to Milford sound the bus stopped and let everyone fill their water bottles with glacial water. Refreshing!)

(Dad enjoying the wet and wonderful views of milford sound)

(Mom and dad at one of our stoppes on the way to milford sound, mirror lake)

(mirror lake is GORGEOUS)

Stop #3- Dunedin ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Did: City tour including lanarch castle and penguin colony, Cadbury chocolate factory tour, Ohau settlers museum

(Started our tour off at a viewpoint. Luckily for us, the weather hadnt gotten bad yet. The day would turn at stormy but here the views were great!)

HERE IS A VIDEO FROM OUR TRIP TO THE BEACH LATER. THE STORM WAS SO POWERFUL, I SUGGEST YO WATCH IT HERE

(The university of otago in dunedin had an amazing centeral clocktower)

(Our tour guide took us to this great exhibit in the art museum where people were given stickers and allowed to place them anywhere on the white canvas room. We really enjoyed it!)

(Mom enjoyed it too! It was a great break from the stormy cold weather. We all had to rug up!)

(We visited a ton of great sites, including the original church on the hill)

(the original train station is still kept in beuatiful glory)

(look at the detail in the floor)

(Lanarch castle was a nice place to visit inside. The entrance is imposing)

(The inside was inviting. We took luch in the great hall with crackling fires in the background. Dad enjoyed a tall black, myself a tea and we educated my parents on what a scone should be)

(The top views were great. The rain slowed down enough to go out. We also got to visit the steepest road in the world. See a short video HERE)

(We went to the albatross colony, but sadly all we saw was a chick from far away. The visibility was just to poor)

(We DID get to see yellow eyed penguins when we went there though. They make a great noise. HERE is a video from our trip.)

(Cadbury world is everything you'd expect. Delicious and informative)

(They don't let you go home hungry either)

(the otago settlers museum had a ton of unique displays. Especially preserving things from the 1900's)

(Like the original my little pony. Sad when your childhood becomes a display lol)

(Like I said lots of unique displays. None of us could figure how you'd actually ride this for real)

(And trains for dad)

Stop # 4- Christchurch~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Did- Transalpine train, city tour, cardboard cathedral, fly to auckland

(Our day trip on the transalpine train started early in christchurch)

(Dad was super excited. He LOVES trains)

(All aboard!)

(It was a great day for a trip. The southern alps were covered in snow and sun)

(Blue water everywhere)

(And mystical looking clouds)

(We had an hour in greymouth before we got back on the train after a short lunch)

(We kept an eye out for mom's favorite cows. She knicknamed them "Oreos". Can you see why?)

(The next day we did a city tour of christchurch. The city is still pretty devastated from the earthquake)

(We also stopped at the cardboard cathedral. Its such a beautiful and unique space)

(Then it was on a plane to Auckland. Note that we boarded walking on the tarmack. There we rented a car and drove to Rotorua. The traffic was HORRIBLE.)

Step #5- Rotorua

Did: Te Puia, Agrodome, Kiwisprings park, bird of prey center, redwood walk, Tamake maori village

(Te Puia was a hit with the fam)

(It was cold out and we really enjoyed the geothermal heated seats. They were SUPER warm. Like sitting on a heating pad)

(The geysers were very active. HERE is a video of the geysers Beautiful day)

(Agrodome was kiwi as usual and we enoyed meeting the baby animals)

(the bird of prey center wasnt very busy as it was raining. I know it doesnt look like it but it was a light rain. Since there were not many kids in attendance all the adults got a turn to hold the rare NZ falcons)

(Cec looks sooo happy)

(Our walk in the redwood forest was also rainy but nice as the trees kept most of the rain at bay)

(And they are HUGE)

(At Tamake Maori village cecil got to play the tick game. Its like musical chairs with sticks. Whoever drops the stick it out.)

(Dad and cec got to practice the haka. Here is the halarious video)

(And everyone enjoyed the Hangi, or maori feast. Its steamed using hot stones. It is delicous and like a thanksgiving dinner)

Step #6- Taupo

Did: Prawn fishing, huka falls, habor tour including maori carvings

(We went prawn fishing. As cec puts it, "frustratingly fun")

(Mom and Dad loved it)

(Mom was the 1st to catch a prawn)

(Dad was second)

(cec was 3rd but caught the most. I did not catch ANY :-( )

(We also stopped by huka falls)

(I love this pic of us)

(Cec and Dad's trout fishing got cancelled to we all went on the boat tour to the maori rick carvings. The captain let us feed the ducks.... in flight!)