May 12
After leaving Queenstown, the bus stopped at a supermarket so we could all buy a picnic lunch for later on. We drove a couple of hours to Manapouri. Here we boarded a ferry and ate our lunch of rolls, cheese and crackers, fruit, and tim tams. The ferry ride took 50 min and we learned about Lake Manapouri from our skipper. After the ferry ride we took about an hour long bus ride through the mountains to our destination: Doubtful Sound. It was beautiful, even though it was raining. Doubtful Sound was misnamed, it is supposed to be Doubtful Fiord. We rode on an overnight cruise called the Fiordland Navigator.
Just a few minutes after boarding, we saw bottle-nosed dolphins swimming along the edge of the bank. They were swimming fast and jumping up in the air, but they did not come near the boat. It was a rainy afternoon, but the saloon deck had a lot of viewing windows so we were able to see the vast amount of mountains that lined the Sound.
For our afternoon activity, Mike and I took a “tender boat ride.” The nature guide from the Navigator took us out on a smaller boat to see the area up close. She told us about the water that was below us - about 40 meters or so was a combination of fresh and ocean water, and the water below that (it got to hundreds of meters deep) has been sitting there for hundreds or thousands of years. That fact alone is crazy! We also learned about birds in the area. One bird, called the Moa, was the biggest bird that lived and was a lot like the ostrich or emu. It became extinct because of the Moari people and a large eagle (also extinct) that would hunt it.
Soon it began raining heavily, so we went back to the Navigator and got on board. I was very happy that I had not chosen to go kayaking. Not only did I still have my cold, but they also got very wet from the rain before they came back to the boat. A brave (stupid?) few people jumped into the water in their swimming suits. No thank you!! It was very cold out. Throughout the evening we had soup service, played board games with people from our group, and had dinner and dessert. One of my most favorite events was when we went out to the Tasman Sea and saw New Zealand Fur Seals in their natural habit. Most of them were sleeping, but some were moving around and playing with each other. They were very cute, and I can definitely say they are my favorite type of seals (they don’t eat penguins!!) At the end of the night we watched a slide show from the nature guide on the discovery and history of Doubtful Sound and the different bird species of the area including the sounds each bird makes. Mike and I agree that our mothers would really like to see the slideshow and the birds in it.
May 13
The ship’s engine started at 6.45 am and the noise definitely woke me up! Breakfast was served in the saloon area before the sun rose over the surrounding mountains, so for awhile we couldn’t see anything out of the windows. Soon the sun rose and we were surrounded by pretty mountains once again. One thing about New Zealand is that the mountaintops are continually surrounded by clouds, and it seems rare to see many tops of mountains. We made our way back from way we came from through the sound. The best part of the morning was that we saw the bottle-nosed dolphins again, but this time they swam right next to the boat for a good five to ten minutes!! They were playing amongst themselves and jumping up into the air as they got closer to the boat. It seemed as if they were trying to race the boat as well. The nature guide told a story about a dead shark that was found in the sound. It had tried to attack one of the smaller dolphins, so many dolphins attacked the shark by ramming their noses into it, eventually killing it. They are very smart creatures to say the least.
We docked at the bay around 10 am, and took the same way back that we had come in - a bus and then a ferry back to our Coach bus. After a couple of hours in the bus we stopped at Lake Te Anau for lunch. It was a beautiful lake and a quick stop. That afternoon we watched Lord of the Rings on the bus, much to my dismay. While I tried to sleep through the whole thing, Mike woke me up during the “good parts.” It was interesting to see New Zealand scenery in the movie however. We ended the evening at Lake Ohau lodge where we stayed for the night. There we were provided with lasagna dinner, movies, and ping pong playing!
May 14
Because we had gotten to Lake Ohau after sunset, we were not blessed by the beautiful view of such a large lake until the morning. Beautiful mountains lined the lake’s edges and it made for quite a sight. After breakfast we were off again for our last day on the tour. Our first stop of the day was Mt. Cook, New Zealand’s tallest mountain. Here we stopped in the Edmund Hillary Centre. Sir Edmund Hillary was the first man to climb Mount Everest, but he trained at Mount Cook so he called it home. Mt Cook is known as Aoraki or “cloud piercer” by the Maori people - which of course it did by having its peak hidden by clouds.
The next stop was Lake Pukaki. It was yet another beautiful lake that we took pictures of. After traveling around Southern New Zealand for seven days, I can definitely tell you that it is full of beautiful lakes, mountains, and green vegetation - all make for beautiful pictures and views!! We stopped at Lake Tekapo for lunch where Mike and I got takeaway Chinese food and ate at picnic tables by the lake. Mike tried to teach me how to skip rocks along the top of the water, but I much rather prefer just throwing in the big rocks and making a splash, much to Mike’s dismay. Here we also stopped at the Church of the Good Sheppard which was built in honor of the settlers of the area. We also took a look at the monument of the Border Collie!
The last stop of the trip was Fairlie. This was where we learned about sheep farming on a family owned farm. The farmer and his wife were incredibly nice. The farmer showed us the sheep shearing equipment, but unfortunately could not shear a sheep because it is almost winter here. Then he brought out one of his four dogs and herded a small amount of sheep together so we could see how the commands work. They gave us each a whistle to keep, but I could never figure out how to work it correctly. Some people could, and it seems that they enjoyed whistle blowing a little too much. The farmer’s wife made us sausage rolls, cookies, and scones as an afternoon snack. I thought it was a good ending to the tour - a little taste of Kiwi farming culture.
Just a couple hours later we found ourselves in Christchurch, ending the tour. Tonight we have watched rugby on tv and ate dinner at a little Irish pub where many Kiwis were cheering on their New Zealand rugby team to beat the Aussies. It’s bittersweet to think that we are making the journey home tomorrow, but I am excited to share everything I have seen and learned with my family and friends. Taking this trip through New Zealand was the perfect way to end my study abroad adventure - I will never forget these four months!! One last cheers from the southern hemisphere! Sending my love and seeing you all soon, Steph
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