Big James's Truck

Is that muddy enough for you?

Cheers

The drive was worth it for the view. Rachael described it as the 'best bar in the world'.

Mud

Big James wanted to take his new 4WD for a proper test run so before dinner a few of us headed across the river and up high for a view down the valley. It was very muddy and I had to be pushed free at one point

A Youtube Moment

Belinda takes a tumble

Men In Trees

Lake Lillian was frozen over. While some of us had an improvised game of ice hockey, James got to get to grips with nature.

A Stroll Before Lunch

We are back at the Avoca Valley this weekend for some outdoor fun, and lots of food and wine. Before lunch we went for a walk to lake Lillian

Grandma

My mum is visiting for a few weeks. We took James for a walk in the Botannic Gardens. Grandma carried him in the backpack which is hard work, he weighs over 10kg now.

Doh!

Sarah has moved to the tiny village of Springfield to do a ski-instructors course. Springfield has one pub, two cafes and well, thats about it. But it does now have a giant donut with which to celebrate the Simpsons movie. This made the national news, must have been a slow news day.

Happy Birthday Son

James is 1 today! We had a party for friends and family with presents, jelly and cake! Tracy and I bought James a trike and Garry and Dougal got him a chainsaw. A real chainsaw... only in New Zealand. Don't worry it is safely hidden in the garage until he is a LOT older.

Moa Sculptures near Alford Forest

The moa became extinct about 500 years ago. At up to 4m high, they must have been an impressive sight. Unfortunately, they were very tasty too. Once humans had finished them off, it was also curtains for their main predator, the Haasts Eagle. With a 3m wingspan and feet as big as a tigers, they must have been a fearsome sight. Plenty of feathers and skeletons of both species exist so why can't we clone them?

Another Hoar Frost

Church

The church of the good shepherd overlooks Lake Tekapo and features on thousands of postcards and calendars. In summer it is surrounded by hoards of tourists but on this cold winter day it was quiet and the snow capped mountains made it very scenic.

Canal And The Ohau Range Near Twizel

It was another frosty morning as we drove back to Christchurch.

Snug

After the walk we went for a drink at the Hermitage. This hotel has great panoramic views from the bar, big leather armchairs and a roaring open fire. It is very quiet in the winter months and reminded me of the Overlook hotel from 'The Shining'.

Hooker Valley

The Hooker Valley looked great in the snow. But the sun set early behind the main divide so we headed back before the temperature dropped too low.

Little Explorer

We took James for a walk near Mt Cook. It was cold but he was wrapped up warm and enjoyed the scenery from his viewpoint on my back. He must like snow as he didn't stop talking all afternoon.

Icy Leaf

Hoar Frost

We spent the next two nights in Twizel. We awoke to temperatures of -10°C and a spectacular hoar frost.

Big Brother

Puzzling World has lots of impressive optical illusions. The 'hall of faces' is, well a big hall full of faces. The cool bit is that they are 3D and follow you around the room. Weird but cool.

Winter Wonderland

Lost

Puzzling world is a kind of thinking mans fun house. Here we are, lost in the world's first 3D maze. And on Friday the 13th as well!

T.S.S. Earnslaw on Lake Wakatipu

I like the colours in this photograph, it reminds me of another painting by Turner. That's two in less than a week (see my earlier post from last sunday).

Diving Duck

Queenstown is famous for extreme sports: bungy jumping, paragliding, jet boats white water rafting. But my sister wanted to feed the fish at the underwater observatory.

Actually it is quite cool, the observatory is below the jetty, you walk down a flight of stairs and can watch the fish as they swim past. A dollar coin releases a handful of fish food to attract the fish. We preferred watching the scaups (diving ducks) which seem to like fish food. We also saw a gigantic eel.

Queenstown From the Crown Range

The crown range road is the highest pass in New Zealand and the views are great as it descends into Queenstown.

Mist on Lake Wanaka

We spent a couple of days in Wanaka. We woke to a hoar frost and freezing fog rising from the lake.

Knights Point

The drive from Fox Glacier to Wanaka is one of my favourites. Lots of mountains, rivers and forest and some spectacular coastal scenery. The view from Knights Point is worth a stop.

The Fox Glacier