Off and running in New Zealand

On Monday, February 14th I flew from Sydney to Christchurch, New Zealand.  I met up with a tour of the South Islands that began on Tuesday, February 15th.  After arrival in Christchurch I collected my bearings after a 2 hr time difference and met for cocktails with the people I will join the next day for 9 days of touring by motor coach, train and ferry boat.

An early morning departure from Christchurch provided an opportunity to tour the city.  It had been hit by an earthquake less than a year ago and the devastation can still be seen by these photos...

Then after leaving Christchurch we head toward Mt. Cook...part of the Southern Alps....

Mt. Cook still had some snow.   In fact I shot a great picture of the melting of the snow...almost like a huge ice sculpture coming down the side of an adjacent mountain....See the pics below...first is Mt. Cook....

now the melting of snow...


Today was a great day to be in this part of New Zealand.  The skies were mostly clear with very high clouds making for some beautiful pics....as seen below...

Sir Edmund Hillary...was a well known hiker into the Mt. Cook and Southern Alp mountain range...and of course we had to see Sir Edmund done in bronze....

 Opps....sorry that is not Sir Edmund...will save him for the slide show....


The real deal today was all the sheep...well some cattle too...but we saw thousands and thousands of sheep.  Enough to keep those GREAT Lamb Sliders at Cava going forever.  The sheep industry is in the millions per year in New Zealand and of course the wool is but one by product.  Take a look first as some of sheep that I saw today....even one great shot of dogs working the sheep herding them into a line....

Opps almost forgot to give you a pic of the cattle.....

Okay....one last pic of Mt. Cook and I will call it a day.....