Stop Over Down Under : Part 2

So for the 2nd part of our land-tour we set off for NZ South Island; we were due to fly in to Queenstown but there was a bad storm and after 2 aborted landing attempts we ended up in Christchurch which meant a 5 hour night time cross country road trip! Our 2 week tour included a 4 day walk along the famous Milford Track with the lovely Ken and Lisa (one of the great walks of the world), then a stay in Queenstown and finally Wanaka. Each of them equally spectacular – soaring mountains, dramatic waterfalls, serene glacial blue lakes and views to die for. The guide books don’t lie NZ is truly a visual feast. While in Wanaka we also celebrated a major milestone...Hugh’s 60th.
From South Island NZ to the South Island of Aus, Tasmania, and an incredible 10 day tour with Oyster buddies Sea Flute and Altair and of course our tour organisers, Tiggy and James. In our tour transit we made our way North from Hobart to Barnbougle, staying with the Tiggies very warm-hearted and generous friends. En route we stopped off to do the Bay of Fires walk, hiking along pure white beaches with fiery orange, lichen-laden rocks set against the crystalline blue water...pure magic.
Our next leg – a week in Marlborough exploring the Sounds and the wineries. While in the beautiful Bay of Many Coves we hiked over to Mahana Lodge along the Queen Charlotte Track to meet up with the lovely Leanne ( a former Meteorite) – so amazing to catch up with her and Rhys in such a remote and unlikely place!
For our final trip we headed to Melbourne. Staying in a beautiful converted church with Nicky and Charles (Calliope) we did what everyone in Melbourne does...combined eating (amazing breakfasts) and drinking (lots of great coffee) with sport (the Grand Prix and The AFL Dees Game ).
So now we’re back in Auckland and definitely ready to unpack our suitcases one last time and settle back in to boat life. But we’ve had an amazing 5 months – the people we’ve met have been so warm and friendly and the places we’ve been so eye-wateringly beautiful. Finally a huge, huge thank you to Fiona and Andy Nugent...we are truly indebted to them for their hospitality and generosity and for helping us make the most of our time down under