Auckland and the Wine Country

We knew we wanted to visit the North Island but there was little time before we had to catch our return flight from Sydney to the US.  We flew to Auckland on the last day of the tour (Sunday, January 27) and spent three nights in the beautiful home and vineyards of Judy Fowler.  We had met Judy some years ago in Charlottesville--she is American and owns property next door to some friends in the countryside.  Decades ago, she moved to New Zealand and established a vineyard and winery called Puriri Hills.  It was there that we spent a much needed, restful respite before our long journey back home.

Judy and Phil with their darling westies

Phil pouring some very elegant Bordeaux-style Puriri Hills wine

View from their front porch

Early summer wine grapes--looking good!

Judy's wines are very well regarded both in New Zealand and in America where she exports some of her finest.  We really enjoyed her delectable meals and wine during our stay. Traditionally a white wine fan, I now have some serious interest in the smooth creaminess and complexity of the Bordeaux blends that Judy produces. (Regrettably, they are in the $50-90 range, so only on special occasions).

During our short stay in Auckland, we took a ferry over to the "wine island" of Waiheke.
In the heart of Auckland’s sparkling Hauraki Gulf, Waiheke Island is a picturesque blend of farmland, forest, beaches, vineyards and olive groves. We spent a gorgeous day there tasting wines, walking amidst the vineyards and enjoying the views.  We had lunch at one of the highest rated restaurants in New Zealand--Te Whau.  Here are a few photos from our fun day on the island.

Views from the road

Wine tasting at Obsidian

Lunch of bay scallops pineapple and peppers

The view and vineyards of Te Whau

So as a fitting closure to our nearly 4 week adventure Down Under, we relaxed in comfort (large suite with jacuzzi and private sitting area), slept in (no 6 am wake up calls!), casually walked (no 6 hour mountain hikes) and enjoyed the beauty and hospitality of the North Island.  We look forward to visiting again...

Braemar Sheep Farm

We left Milford Sound early on Thursday morning (January 24) and drove to a beautiful lake district for a quiet night (this after the backpacker lodge).  The view from our room was glorious and it was a very modest motel.  In fact, I commented that if this had been the US, there would be Ritz Carltons and Westins everywhere.

This was a travel day basically so we spent most of our time on our bus, fondly named Bruce!  With all the winding curves and steep drops, we were quite happy to have Bruce and our excellent driver, Ben. 

View from our little motel onto Lake Manapouri

Bruce...our very special bus!

After a long day of driving -- by the way, most people including us, don't realize what a huge country New Zealand is.  With limited roads, it takes a long time to get around mountains and lakes-- It took us many hours of driving(some on gravel roads) to come to our home for two nights-- a sheep farm, in the middle of nowhere, with thousands of sheep, beautiful scenery and the brightest stars I have ever seen.

Our hut is on the left

Braemar Station is very modest. It is actually a shearer's station during the season with a variety of bedrooms crammed together in a small house. We were fortunate to stay in a cute little hut away from the main building (and the bathrooms!) but it was wonderfully quiet and peaceful with views to die for!   The million-dollar views made up for the fact that we had one bathroom for all 14 of us, which we could reach only by walking outside in the middle of the night in total darkness!

Here are a few photos of the views from our hut and also our hike in the Mt. Cook area during our stay here.

Mountains everywhere and a very tired Robin

Glacier River to cross (we walked over 3 suspension bridges)

Friendly Kia bird

Our challenging but beautiful tour was coming to an end, so we celebrated our last evening with a picnic, overlooking the gorgeous mountains.  Ben and Christina did it again with grilled lamb chops, veggies and salads.  Topped off with the quintessential New Zealand dessert--a pavlova cake!

Last night on the Adventure Trip (I look happy, yes?)

A most beautiful picnic spot!  Overlooking Mt. Cook.

Pavlova with kiwi fruit--yum!