Bay of Many Coves

 For our climbing pleasure, the Bay of Many Coves has been constructed on a steep slope with switchbacks. The photo below from the web site gives some idea of the vertical nature of the place. The suite we shared was elevated over 100 feet above sea level. We felt like we were living in an eight story walk-up. The situation was not ideal for average septuagenarians, but we had a good time anyway. Fortunately, a golf cart could negotiate the steep slopes and switchbacks. We utilized the cart about half the time, and our trekking poles for the rest. We renamed the resort the Cove of Many Falls.

https://www.bayofmanycoves.co.nz/

   Our youngster Sheree (10 years younger than the rest of us) took on the Ridge Loop which is 2.7 miles in length with an altitude of 1,200 feet.

For Bob and me, the highlight of our visit was an EcoTour by boat to the Montaura Island Scenic and Historic Reserve. During the ride and on the island, we saw innumerable birds, some quite rare. A variety of cormorant called the King Shag is found only in the Marlborough Sounds and numbers about 700 total - in the world. What follows are a few of the many pictures I took with my Sony camera and telescopic lens.

Spotted Shag, feeding her young

Fluttering Shearwater

South Island Saddleback

Included in this photo is about 1% of the world King Shag population

Coastal Pacific Train Journey from Christchurch to Picton

This six hour journey along the shore of the Pacific Ocean with its abundance of wild (and tame) life, sloping vistas, and mountains must be one of the most scenic encounters any of us have ever experienced. What a great way to travel.

    The first half of the journey was through sloping terrain with many farms, rivers, and small villages. We made two stops along the way for passengers to board and disembark.

 

Much of the farm land was occupied by cattle and sheep with the occasional horse or alpaca.

A variety of rivers ran toward the sea. This one was half shallow water, and half river bed. Others were narrow whitewater streams. This is also wine country. We saw many vineyards along the way.

The second half was mostly along the coast. 

Oh my!

This went on for about 60 miles with spectacular views around every bend.

https://www.viator.com/tours/Christchurch/Coastal-Pacific-Christchurch-to-Picton-by-Train/d400-59907P5?m=28353&supag=118063152419&supsc=dsa-694098304204&supai=660597825099&supdv=c&supnt=g&suplp=9118712&supli=9118710&supti=dsa-694098304204&tsem=true&supci=dsa-694098304204&supap1=&supap2=&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAk9itBhASEiwA1my_67wiNq5O6asx4jQyAdkjaYiKLp2fD5lEL3p-y6FRsq4seND9JJDw8BoCl4sQAvD_BwE

Did I get lucky or what?
Taken with an iPhone

We disembarked in Picton which is at the northernmost part of the south island, right next to the docks. We traveled the short distance to the office of the Cougar Line, the boat service that would ferry us to our hotel, accessible only by water. Our fearless captain awaited us.

Christchurch and Otahuna Lodge

 Had there been train service from Queenstown to Christchurch, we would have taken it. Instead, we flew about 40 minutes on a commuter turboprop. No security check was necessary. Imagine that!

    Once landed, we were picked up by our driver and taken to the Otahuna Lodge. Between the four of us, we have stayed at some of the finest hotels and lodges around the world. We all agreed that this was perhaps the finest.

    From the start, the place had the feel of Downton Abbey without the pomp. Upon our arrival, we traveled the long driveway, and were greeted by a staff of five who already knew all our names. And it only got better. We were to stay only two nights. We would have preferred two years.

    From the moment we landed in Queenstown three days earlier, we had been seriously over programmed with activities. This stay was an opportunity to unwind with a vacation from our vacation. I took very few pictures. Here is a picture that one of our hosts took of us at the dinner table.

Here are additional pictures that I pulled off the web sites.

They claim that there are one million daffodils on the property.

Dignitary visitors to the lodge include King Charles and Camilla while they were still Duke and Duchess of Cornwall. Although the late Queen Elizabeth II never visited Otahuna Lodge, her parents, the Duke and Duchess of York did visit. QE II did visit the Huka lodge; more on that in a later post.

For a far more detailed description of the Lodge, please check out

https://www.otahuna.co.nz/getattachment/7012d000-4a58-48cf-8cba-c67ed8c5e43d/SeaSpray-Magazine.aspx

Milford Sound

 Milford Sound is actually a fjord, not a sound. Both a fjord and a sound are filled with seawater. A sound is a river valley that has filled water that has refluxed from the sea. A fjord is usually a deep trench between mountains that has been carved out by glaciers and connects directly to the ocean.

We had the opportunity to take an overnight cruise to the mouth of the fjord at the Tasman Sea. (the body of water between New Zealand and Australia, really part of the Pacific Ocean) Our boat was smaller than most tour boats, with 20 relatively spacious cabins. This was a luxury cruise with a wonderful crew who knew all the passengers by name.

The scenery seemed to come out of a storybook. Each waterfall was more spectacular than the last. There was an abundance of wildlife. The experience was outstanding.

    The two wettest spots on earth are Kauai, and you guessed it, Milford Sound, each getting about 250 inches of rain a year. So, we were prepared with the obligatory rain gear. The weather was perfect! The sky was clear. The water was calm. We could not have asked for better conditions.

Here are some of the pictures I took as we traveled down and back.

Queenstown, New Zealand

 

New Zealand was not inhabited by humans until about 700 years ago when the Māori people arrived by canoes from Polynesia in waves over several hundred years. The first European to visit the region of Queenstown was Nathaniel Chalmers in 1853, guided by the chief of the Tuturau. It was around 1860 that the Brits determined that New Zealand would be a favorable addition to the British Empire. The Māori mined jade for its beauty and it usefulness in making tools. They considered the soft yellow metal they also found to be useless. However, the Brits realized that there was gold in them thar hills, and the rush was on.

Queenstown is on Lake Wakatipu, the third largest lake in New Zealand. The economy relies heavily on tourists like us during the summer with recreational activities involving the mountains, wilderness, lakes, rivers, and nearby sounds, fiords, and the ocean to the east, south and west.

Then there is the crazy stuff that puts Queenstown on the map. Although the first recorded bungee jump was made from the Clifton suspension bridge in Bristol, England, the first commercial bungee jumping operation began in Queenstown.

We passed.

And then there are the people who jump off high cliffs and out of perfectly good airplanes.

We passed.

In the winter, the mountains provide the best runs in New Zealand for skiing and snowboarding.

https://www.queenstownnz.co.nz/stories/post/home-of-big-country-queenstowns-ski-touring-and-splitboarding/

It is currently summer in the southern hemisphere. We passed.

We did not pass on a wonderful trip to Milford Sound, and a nice hike in the wilderness. That follows.

Silver Bird Revisited

 

After five nights in Singapore, we were once again aloft flying overnight, heading for Auckland, New Zealand. From there we transferred to Air New Zealand to fly from Auckland at the north end of the north island to Queenstown at the south end of the south island. We have begun spending the next 18 days working our way back north to Auckland.

Singapore

 Is Singapore a city or a country? The answer is YES. It is also considered a city-state. The Republic of Singapore consists of 64 islands and islets. Collectively, they cover 281 square miles, 20% of which is landfill. For comparison Cuyahoga County covers 3,230 square miles. Eleven Singapores could fit in Cuyahoga County. Singapore is the smallest country in Asia. The population is over 6 million which makes it the second most densely populated country in the world.

    The Republic of Singapore is located at the southern tip of the Malay peninsula. It is sometimes referred to as the red dot because it is so tiny on the map. It is located south of Malaysia, separated by the 1 km wide Straits of Johor. It is surrounded by numerous islands of Indonesia.  Singapore is less than 100 miles north of the equator. Therefore, there is little in the way of seasonal variation. The lengths of day and night vary only a little over the course of a year.

    Sir Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles was a British colonial official who was able to secure control over sparsely populated Singapore in 1819. In 1942, the Japanese took control of Singapore until it was returned to the British with the surrender of Japan in 1945. Singapore became independent in 1965. This summary skips a lot of fascinating details which can be found here in the Wikipedia entry for Singapore.

    Initially, it was not clear that Singapore was a viable nation due to its small size, absence of natural resources, little adequate housing, and significant unemployment. Against all odds, with strong leadership and a strategic trade location, Singapore was able to attract investment from multinational corporations and has emerged as one of the four Asian Tigers which also include Hong Kong, Taiwan, and South Korea. Strengths include education, healthcare, quality of life, personal safety, infrastructure, home ownership rate of 88%, long life expectancies, fastest internet connection speeds, lowest infant mortality rates, and lowest levels of corruption. The Republic of Singapore has the highest gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in the world. There are four official languages in Singapore; English, Mandarin, Malay, and Tamil. Most people are bilingual, speaking their native language and English.

    Singapore is considered a parliamentary representative democratic republic. Although there are other political parties, the People's Action Party has won elections and maintained control since 1959. The citizens of Singapore appear to be satisfied the regimented control exerted by their government. There are tradeoffs.

    Punishment for littering is severe. As a result, Singapore is one of the cleanest cities in the world. Do not get caught with chewing gum. You will be lucky if you get away with just a heavy fine. Drug trafficking is punishable by death.

    Singapore is a multiracial melting pot. There are powerful incentives to get along amongst groups that historically have not gotten along. It does appear that people are polite and tolerant. Three bloggers were convicted of sedition for posting racist remarks directed at minority groups. Do not mess with authority in Singapore.

    We knew little about Singapore when our friends Bob and Sheree suggested that we go there together. The culture, cuisine, and the infrastructure are amazing. The aura of opulence is quite real, but there is so much more. We feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity to visit Singapore.