Tina & Rob’s excellent adventure

After 2 days in Boulder, our next stop is Rocky Mountain National Park. As you can see from the photos it is beautiful here and we are enjoying viewing the wildlife. Elk and Big Horn Sheep wander the park. It has been really cold here and snow is in the forecast every day. No worries– we have a fireplace in our little mountain cottage so we are nice and warm inside. Looking out our window we see wild turkeys parade by and a view of Castle Mountain.
Our first day the weather was mild and sunny, so we hit the trails and hiked Deer Mountain, about 3 hours. We never made it to the summit, however because bad weather was moving in. If we get a fresh snowfall, I will try to build another snowman.

We spent the last few days in Auckland enjoying the waterfront and doing some shopping. The exchange rate in New Zealand was fantastic (one of the few times this trip) and we took advantage of it by buying some warm clothes for our Colorado stop in one of the many outdoor shops in the city.

We had about 9 hours of turbulence on our 12 hour flight to LA so we did not get too much sleep. Luckily we had booked a Hotel at the airport and got some rest before continuing on to Colorado. We arrived to a foot of snow in Denver. So much for trying to stay in a mild climate on this trip! No matter, it is beautiful here. We spent our first day hiking along Boulder Creek and Boulder Canyon where Tina built a snowman.    Later we met Dave and Barbara Hollis and their beautiful daughters Emily and Rachel for dinner in town.

The weather in Auckland has been perfect this week and I finally made it out onto the water. A beautiful breeze made the two hour sail on the NZ 41 the ultimate treat. Both the NZ 40 and NZ 41 are true America Cup racers and were used for training purposes. It is unbelievable how quick and responsive these boats are, we were easily doing 10 knots and the boat spins on a dime. Very few modifications were done to the boats since their racing days. They did install twin diesels so they can get out under their own power. The real racers were towed in and out of the marina before and after each race. For anyone that loves sailing, it’s a must do when visiting Auckland.

We are spending the last week of our overseas adventure in Auckland, the City of Sails. It is the largest city in New Zealand where 30% of the country’s population resides. It has a lot in common with Sydney Australia, beautiful waterfront and surroundings, but cannot touch the charm of its Australian rival. Nevertheless it is a great place to visit. We have rented another small but clean apartment in a great neighborhood and spend the days checking out the city. Today we took the ferry to Rangitoto Island, one of the 48 volcanoes in the Auckland area, and hiked to the summit. Tomorrow I am going to try my hand at America’s Cup racing…crewing on one of the retired America’s Cup vessels along with 20 of my fellow tourists!

We went to a Rugby Union game of the local professional team “The Canterbury Crusaders”. It is certainly a unique and exciting game… when a player is down and bleeding, they continue playing! Even while the trainer is tending to the injured player on the field! There are no time outs and play continues for two halves of 40 minutes each. It was cold and windy in the stadium but we had a lot of fun.

We spent the night in Arthur’s Pass on our way back to Christchurch. It is a township with a population of 54 and a stopover for people wanting to explore Arthur’s Pass National Park and the Southern Alps. We spent the day hiking up to the waterfalls. The views here are breathtaking!

Continuing south we stopped at Shantytown– 30 historic buildings  recreate a 19th Century pioneer town, inspired by the West Coast gold rushes of the 1860s. It is like stepping back in time, with the old time shops displaying their relics from days gone by.  We rode an old time steam train and panned for gold which is really no easy task. It gave us a new respect for those early gold prospectors.

The Pancake Rocks are columns of limestone resembling stacks of pancakes that have been formed by centuries of tidal water washing over them. At high tide with a heavy swell running, seawater is forced upwards through blow holes. An amazing sight which is backdropped by the rough surf of the Tasman Sea.

We visited Abel Tasman National Park named after the Dutch explorer who arrived in this area in 1642. We spent two days hiking in this beautiful area which lies in the northern portion of the South Island. There is something for everyone here–camping, hiking and kayaking for all levels and of course the unspoilt golden beaches. All serviced by water taxis that take you to and from your desired destination.

We are visiting my sister Maria and brother in law Helge in Christchurch. The first two pictures were taken on a hike in the hills around the city. The next two are the old university and the cathedral followed by the view from Maria and Helge’s house overlooking the city. The last picture is of the New Zealand part of the family. Our beautiful nieces Jessica and the very pregnant Amber, Maria and Helge and Amber’s husband Andre.