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Middle Earth Tour 2016/17

Started by Ianab, December 10, 2016, 03:22:12 AM

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Ianab

Staying in Haast tonight. This place is pretty remote. Lost cellphone coverage 2 hours up the road, and wont get it back for 2 more hours across to the other side of the Alps. Glaciers where pretty much clouded in that part of the trip was rained out. So we pushed on South to Haast as the weather was clearing from the South.

This basically the end of the road at Jackson Bay. If you want to go further South, you need a boat.



So we went back and looked around Haast. This is by the river.



Check out the bridge. It's 730 metres long, and ONE lane. There are a couple of passing bays in the middle, because if it's raining, you can't see a car at the other end.



Tomorrow we follow the Haast river up into the Mts and over the pass into the lakes area. Next stop is Wanaka

Weekend warrior, Peterson JP test pilot, Dolmar 7900 and Stihl MS310 saws and  the usual collection of power tools :)

Ianab

OK, bit late on the 28th, had connections problems last night.

Here we are heading up the Haast river to the pass over the Alps



And over into Otago district and the Mt Aspiring National Park. This is the Blue Pool, named for obvious reasons. The snow melt water has a bright blue colour all year round.



And yes that's some tourist getting ready to jump off the bridge. I did mention the part about Snow Melt didn't I

Walking back through the Beech forest back to the road



And then on down the road into Wanaka...

Weekend warrior, Peterson JP test pilot, Dolmar 7900 and Stihl MS310 saws and  the usual collection of power tools :)

Ianab

Thursday 29th, day tripping around Wanaka.
Went up to Mt Aspiring National Park. 12 miles of badly corrugated gravel road, with tourists that have no idea how to drive on gravel. With the surface like it was you had to be up around 40 mph to smooth it out a bit, and things tended to get a bit loose..

But the scenery made it worth the trip.

Weekend warrior, Peterson JP test pilot, Dolmar 7900 and Stihl MS310 saws and  the usual collection of power tools :)

Ianab

OK, we got put of Wanaka before more drunk teenagers arrived for New Year. Called in at Queenstown, which was basically a huge traffic jam. Luckily we hadn't booked there, and pressed on to Te Anau, which is a much quieter place.

Looking out over the lake at Queenstown



This is on the other side of the lake, under the Mts in the first picture.



Then on to Te Anau, which is basically the last town before Milford Sound. This is more like it



This shop was featured in a recent TV advert for ice cream, so the girls wanted to stop and get ice creams  :D



Tomorrow, day trip through to Milford Sound.
Weekend warrior, Peterson JP test pilot, Dolmar 7900 and Stihl MS310 saws and  the usual collection of power tools :)

Ianab

OK, Day trip to Milford Sound today.

Forecast was for rain, so we knew what to expect, and weren't disappointed.  :D



Waterfalls.... LOTS of waterfalls.



Waterfalls up close ...



And waterfalls further away. See the little boat in the corner, that's a 3 deck tour boat nosing in under the same waterfall.

View from the open ocean. Early explorers  missed the place completely.



But 100 yards in and look what opens up.



In inside the fiord. looking back toward the open ocean.



Then we stopped at an underwater viewing place. Walk down 30 ft underwater, and you are in a reverse aquarium, looking out at the fish, and even coral. The white fern like thing is a coral, growing here at 44 deg South



Cloud lifted a bit to give an idea of the scale. Again, one of the bigger tour boats in the corner



Then we stopped on the way out at a viewing spot, and Lil got to tick off another native bird from her list. Kea parrots hanging out in the carpark waiting to dismantle rental cars. These are a large native parrot that live up in the high mountains (usually in the snow). They are dangerously smart, and will steal your windscreen wipers and window rubbers if given the chance.



Then just water cascading down the side of the Mt as we wait to go through the Homer tunnel, which is an adventure in itself..



Tomorrow we head off South to Invercargill and Bluff, where the road ends again. After that, we head North towards home. But lots to see still.
Weekend warrior, Peterson JP test pilot, Dolmar 7900 and Stihl MS310 saws and  the usual collection of power tools :)

SawyerBrown

Milford Sound was definitely on our list of things to do, so I guess you would give this a thumbs-up?

Are you planning to go out to Stewart Island when you head south?

Thanks again for the updates and beautiful pictures!!
Pete Brown, Saw It There LLC.  Wood-mizer LT35HDG25, Farmall 'M', 16' trailer.  Custom sawing only (at this time).  Long-time woodworker ... short-time sawyer!

LeeB

The falls are absolutely beautiful. My favorite part of the tour so far. It's really great of you to have brought us all along.  :new_year:
'98 LT40HDD/Lombardini, Case 580L, Cat D4C, JD 3032 tractor, JD 5410 tractor, Husky 346, 372 and 562XP's. Stihl MS180 and MS361, 1998 and 2006 3/4 Ton 5.9 Cummins 4x4's, 1989 Dodge D100 w/ 318, and a 1966 Chevy C60 w/ dump bed.

Ianab

Quote from: SawyerBrown on December 31, 2016, 07:28:17 AM
Milford Sound was definitely on our list of things to do, so I guess you would give this a thumbs-up?

Are you planning to go out to Stewart Island when you head south?

Thanks again for the updates and beautiful pictures!!

No trip to Stewart Island this time. It's a bit far out of the way even for us. Be different if you wanted to get in some hiking / fishing / hunting.

Milford Sound is awesome, just it's ~1100 miles from Auckland by road. With only a 2 week visit you would spend a LOT of time driving. If you flew to Queenstown for a few days I guess it would be practical.
Weekend warrior, Peterson JP test pilot, Dolmar 7900 and Stihl MS310 saws and  the usual collection of power tools :)

Ianab

OK, end of the road at Bluff. Can't drive any further South.



View looking back North from the Bluff Hill. Not much to see to the South today as the weather was pretty rough. Stewart Island was out the some place in the cloud and haze.



So time to heas back North again. 2768 km on the trip meter so far, and another 12 days left on the trip, with lots more to see.

Tomorrow we head for Dunedin, the only place in the world that's more Scottish than Scotland.(based on bagpipes per capita anyway)
Weekend warrior, Peterson JP test pilot, Dolmar 7900 and Stihl MS310 saws and  the usual collection of power tools :)

Ianab

Oh, and they do know how to make park benches here in Invercargill. Get a tree, and cut away anything that's not a bench.  :D

Weekend warrior, Peterson JP test pilot, Dolmar 7900 and Stihl MS310 saws and  the usual collection of power tools :)

WDH

Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

Magicman

I look forward to reading this topic every day.   :)
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

Ianab

Todays road trip was from Invercargill to Dunedin, via the Caitlins (coast road).
This is basically across the Southern coast of the South Island.

First stop was a place called Slope Point. Turns out that although Highway 1 ends in Bluff, it's not as far South as you can drive. That's this place. Well technically you have to walk the last 1/2 mile, but that's just what you do.



Looking down at the sea and rocks below. Wasn't a particularly rough day, but some big swells rolling in.



Then around the corner to a place called Curio Bay.



Famous for several reasons. On of the breeding places of the rare Yellow Eyed penguin.

And we get to see one.



You have to stay 30ft away from them (by law) so you don't disturb their breeding or molting.



The other thing is the petrified forest buried in the rocks. This is a 160 million year old forest, gradually being uncovered by the sea. You can see the logs and stumps clearly.



Then a quick bite of lunch at a lookout. Looks like Summer, but air temp was about 12C, and wind was reminding us we where closer to the South Pole than the Equator.



Last stop was a place called Nugget point.


View from up at the lighthouse



And looking down at the Fur Seals swimming and basking on the rocks below.



Checking out the sights of Dunedin tomorrow, then heading North to Oamaru.



Weekend warrior, Peterson JP test pilot, Dolmar 7900 and Stihl MS310 saws and  the usual collection of power tools :)

samandothers

Really appreciate you taking us with you on this tour.  It is really interesting looking at the pictures.  I could tell with today's postings things had turned a bit cooler in the area you were in.  Y'all went from summer type shorts and short sleeve shirts to coats!

Ox

Love the pictures!  Thank you for taking the time to post them!
K.I.S.S. - Keep It Simple Stupid
Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without
1989 GMC 3500 4x4 diesel dump and plow truck, 1964 Oliver 1600 Industrial with Parsons loader and backhoe, 1986 Zetor 5211, Cat's Claw sharpener, single tooth setter, homemade Linn Lumber 1900 style mill, old tools

Ianab

OK, saw some of the sights of Dunedin this morning.

An actual Castle.


Mostly restored to original condition.


Then a railway Station. They don't build em like that any more.


Then we walked up the steepest street in the world. Note how the footpath on the side is actually stairs...


No camera tricks involved


Then up the coast and stopped at the Moeraki Boulders. Weird, these perfectly round boulders that have eroded out of the small cliff, and now lay on the beach, for people to climb on and take pictures. So of course we do this too.



We are in Oamaru tonight and have just got back from watching the local penguins come ashore in the evening. These are the more common Little Blue penguins, but the locals have set up a protected reserve and nesting area for them and now have nearly 200 breeding pairs there. They are used to the lights and people in the viewing area and just come ashore each evening like normal and scamper up the beach / boulders and into their buried nest boxes. Can't photograph there because the camera flashes would disturb them. So if you want to see them, go here.
http://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native-animals/birds/birds-a-z/penguins/little-penguin-korora/

Tomorrow, an the road again, but only a short trip inland to Omarama to check out the sights there.
Weekend warrior, Peterson JP test pilot, Dolmar 7900 and Stihl MS310 saws and  the usual collection of power tools :)

Ianab

OK, left Oamaru and headed inland. Short trip up the road to Omarama. Very different landscape here in the middle of the Island.

Here we are at Lake Benmore.



Looking the other way down to the power house / switchgear. The lake is man made behind this 300ft dam. power station is rated for 540 mw, second largest in NZ.



Then we had some time to fill in, so found this road sign says "Clay Cliffs"  ???
OK, we put our $5 in the box at the farm gate and drove off up some gravel track to a little car park.
Walk a bit further up a track and Lil is thinking thinking "We paid $5 to see this?  ::)"



Then we turn the corner and find a little passage way into the hill.



That open up to this.



Looking down the gully, you can see the Lil (Black Jacket) and the kids at the bottom of the picture.



Relaxing at the camp ground this evening with some drinkies. Still a bit cool, with fresh snow on some of the taller hills around us. Heading up to see the other lakes and Mt Cook, then on to Geraldine.

Weekend warrior, Peterson JP test pilot, Dolmar 7900 and Stihl MS310 saws and  the usual collection of power tools :)

Ianab

Woke up to a 2C morning and frost on the car. How that for the middle of Summer

But it was a brilliantly clear  day for a trip up to Mt Cook



And from the Tasman Glacier side



The lake at the base of the glacier. The terminal face is that small cliff at the top of the lake. Mt Cook is the peak in the top left corner.



The bottom end of the lake, and looking down the river. Note the little iceberg floating in the lake.



This one. It was hard to judge scale.



Until a tour boat with a dozen tourists on board sailed past.



Lake Pukaki which your drive up the shores off to reach the Mts



And Lake Tekapo a bit further on.



Staying tonight in Geraldine, then on to Christchurch tomorrow
Weekend warrior, Peterson JP test pilot, Dolmar 7900 and Stihl MS310 saws and  the usual collection of power tools :)

Logger RK


thecfarm

Our glaciers are not that big.  :o
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

WDH

Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

Ianab

OK, quick test.

Where are we going today?





Weekend warrior, Peterson JP test pilot, Dolmar 7900 and Stihl MS310 saws and  the usual collection of power tools :)

thecfarm

Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

Ox

I'm not sure.  You said you're going to Christchurch tomorrow, which is today.  I looked back through all your pictures but couldn't find anything that looked exactly like what you're showing...  but I'm loving all the sharing!  Thanks
K.I.S.S. - Keep It Simple Stupid
Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without
1989 GMC 3500 4x4 diesel dump and plow truck, 1964 Oliver 1600 Industrial with Parsons loader and backhoe, 1986 Zetor 5211, Cat's Claw sharpener, single tooth setter, homemade Linn Lumber 1900 style mill, old tools

Ianab

The place is called Mt Sunday. In the LOTR movie the capital of Rohan was built on this hill, and the Mts around it are in the background of many of the Edoras shots.
Weekend warrior, Peterson JP test pilot, Dolmar 7900 and Stihl MS310 saws and  the usual collection of power tools :)

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