Day 9 and 10:Auckland

Christmas time..the last two days in NZ.. :-).But there were still lot of things to look forward to,thanks to Saunil.We landed at the airport and a shuttle came to pick us up to take us to our destination.Hotel Langham,one of the best 5 star hotels in the middle of downtown...the reception was grand.One of the person directed us to our room..everything arnd was so plush.They upgraded us to their special room for free since we were on our honeymoon, another one of those special treatments and pampering..we didn't mind tat at all...We were so excited to be able to spend our last day here.Later after admiring the room and our good luck,we went arnd the Auckland city..it was full of life,colour thanks to Christmas eve..everyone was busy shopping,having fun with their families..we were having a good time too..being amidst the vibrant ,festive atmosphere and in a crowd after spending so many days in the quiet,serene ,romantic south island.

When we came back in the evening,we had a suprise waiting for us in our room..they had a nice congratulations!!! dessert specially prepared for us..it was very artistic...the  chococlates were yummy too..I was totally enjoying myself with all the surprises Saunil had planned for me at regular intervals of the trip..:-):-)

This was our last stop in the NZ trip..we had a ball of a time..we def would have loved to be there for few more days..but we had the best 10 days there and with lots of beautiful memories and moments to treasure Mr and Mrs Shah :-) :-) were on their way back to India to spend the rest of the trip with  parents and loved ones .Wat say hubby??I am sure u def loved the last line and specially me tellin u that..anything for u sweetheart..

Day 8: Fox Glacier

It was mission Fox Glacier today.We were focused to be there before our scheduled 2:30 pm helihike tour.It was one of the main attractions on our NZ to do list and we both wanted to ensure that we do everything rite for the trip.The scheduled time to reach Fox Glacier from Queenstown is around 6 hrs but my super hero hubby being a gr8 driver that he is made us reach in arnd 5 hrs 15 mins with a small halt at Makario for breakfast.We also had a look at the Fantail and thundercreek falls on the way.We reached Fox Glacier at around 12:00 pm and being a very small town were quickly able to find Fox Glacier Mountain View B &B.We met up with Karen,she had a beautiful house with a cool view of Mount Tasman,the second highest peak in NZ.She offered us some tea and then she gave us a rapid fire what to do for the helihike in and around Fox Glacier town.She was very sweet,both me and Saunil felt like kids who were being given a quick tutorial on something imp,felt good..remembered the good old school days.The weather was pretty nice and we were expecting it to be good enuf for the helihike( helicopter ride +hike) but it wasn’t true.The helicopter ride to the glacier requires extra special conditions to land it safely on the glacier and the suspense began.We would not know till 1:50 whether we would be able to go for it..too much of a suspense to handle!! There were so many things to anticipate for..firstly whether we would be able to go for it..and secondly if we would be able to go what’s it going to be like.We grabbed a quick sandwhich in the local café and waited.Finally,the suspense ended ,yippee!!! The weather was fine,we were going for the helihike.We were taken to the helipad location where we were given socks and boots to wear on the hike and few instructions for the helicopter ride.The chopper ride lasted for 10 mins and offered beautiful view of the mountains,few waterfalls and then the glacier.The glacier is a bit hidden and so we were awestruck when we got its first view.There were around 15 ppl waiting on the glacier to get a ride back home.Our pilot gave us a swing ride through the Victoria falls and then landed.When I put my first step on the ice,I was scared and excited at the same time,mixed emotions!!An attendee helped me to a safe spot and luckily it wasn’t very cold and the 3 layered clothing were good enough to keep us warm.Once all the other ppl were on their way back home,it was just 6 of us,five first-timers with our guide Dean.He was a young Australian guy, seemed friendly.He gave us instructions to put on the “Crampoons” a nail entanglement to be worn around our boots to catch grip on the ice.We were lucky to have such few ppl on the glacier,would give us an opportunity to get a more closer,calm look of the glaciers.We started walking on the ice,through the glacier.The intial few moments were bit awkward,scared with the crampons on ice but my hubby was by my side so I was okay…,kept holding his hand to make my way through.Dean was cool,he took us to awesome glacier formations=>crevices,musels,ice formations,ice caves…

simply marvelous and stunning,he also gave us some good understanding of the Fox Glacier formations,its history…very interesting!!We walked and walked on the ice…felt like travelers on a mission.The comfort level grew by the time and unlike what I had expected,slipped just once!! Dean had kept one of the main attractions for the end.We entered through a glacier cave formation,it was so cool…have a video of it too.Two and half hours on the glacier just flew by and the helicopter was on its way..to summarize the Glacier experience..it was a mystic,magical walk in a no-man’s land(like Neverland),through infinity…didn’t know the start or the end..just white ice and the mountains all around..reinstilled the amazing,magical powers and creation of the Almighty God.

One of the best moments!!!

Day 6 and 7:Queenstown

We had some good continental breakfast at Shakespeare B&B,met Ray and told him how much we loved the drive to Milford Sound and the cruise,met James(baby)for the last time before we left,also met the old couple from Netherlands in the breakfast room.We left at around 10~10:30.We reached Queenstown at around 12:00pm.Saunil had a couple of surprises planned for me here and I simply couldn’t wait,was so excited!!!The first one was our hotel room and the beautiful view from our room…simply gorgeous.It was room 405 at Hotel Rydges right in the middle of Queenstown downtown facing the beautiful Wakatipu lake and the snow clad mountains,green plains surrounding the lake.Hotel Rydeges is one of the prestigious hotel in New Zealand and I simply loved the room,its location.After spending some time admiring the room we headed to grab a bite,were very hungry.

On our way we saw this place really crowded,it was a burger place Ferburger.There were lot of food options in Queenstown so looked up the Lonely Planet book to suggest  few good options and guess what it told us that the burger place we just passed by is one of the best burger joints in the whole of NZ.We decided to have our lunch here and ordered two veggie burgers,one with the chickpeas pattie and the other one with tofu.I love to order drinks whenever I go out to eat so ordered an iced coffee.Frankly speaking,we did not expect anything special from the burger…but we were in for a pleasant surprise..both the burgers were too good….yummy…very big but we didn’t mind tat at all..one of the best burgers we have ever had..and as an icing on the cake,the iced coffee was delicious too..too good!!!We were happy with the good start at Queenstown,went around the shops and the streets for a while then went ahead to book the Jet boat ride( It cost $109 per person).Queenstown is known as the adrenaline capital of the world so definitely wanted to experience some adventure ride.We decided to take the shotover jet boat ride because its one of its kind…found only in Queenstown.The jet boat ride is a fast,speed boat ride spinning,crashing almost through the rocks of the canyon through the shotover river.The shotover river has its history associated with finding lot of gold in it.We both were damn excited about taking our first adventure ride in NZ.I was getting goose bumps,curious as to what’s it going to be like.Saunil was trying his level best to calm me down.. thanks for that,hubby!!

They took us in a bus to the bank of the shotover river along the canyons,gave us some instructions,we put on our life jackets..and there we were!!all set for the half an hour ride at 4:00pm.There were 3 more couples with us.Its difficult to put the whole ride experience in words but to simply put it..it was mindblowing!!The best thrilling moments were when our instructor used to take us for a 360 degree spin after his special indication,take us so close to the rocks at a speed of 80km/hr~ 45m/hr.One of the special features of this jet boat is it can go through shallow water too and works very similar to the jet nozzle for spraying water in gardens.

We loved the ride and I convinced Saunil to buy the pics tat they clicked for us for $40..not a small amt but worth it for once in a lifetime experience.We came back to the harbor,had a choclate fudge brownie dessert at Panaroma,a famous dessert place to celebrate our successful adventure trip.

It felt as if we had done so much in the day but guess there was still more to come.My hubby had planned a cool surprise for me,a very romantic one I should say.We drove to the outskirts of Queenstown at a place called Onsen Hot pool and spa.Saunil had booked the Hot pool for an hour.The hot pool is located in a private room overlooking the beautiful valley,mountains,plains with lots of beautiful purple lupins,shotover river.The cool part is once u r in the hotpool you can open the window and the roof and then its just u surrounded with the beautiful scenery around.To top it off,Saunil had asked for candles to be put around in the room,simply gorgeous.It was so romantic!!!Also very relaxing,a perfect way to end an active,adventurous,fun-filled day.Thank you hubby for one of the very romantic and memorable experiences of our honeymoon.

Day 5:Milford Sound

Today we were going for the much awaited cruise on Milford Sound.Fiordland is a place that receives a lot of rain(it rains 2 out of every 3 days).We were hoping that the forecast of the day be correct and it stays nice and sunny.When we got for breakfast in the morning it looked perfect.We were greeted by Ray and his baby James at the breakfast table.We had a nice continental breakfast and Rays special “Kiwi breakie” that included hot hashbrowns and tomatoes.In the meantime Ray gave us a mapof the Fiordland.He told us all the points of interest worth visiting on the way to Milford Sound.Our cruise was booked for 3:15pm with Mitre peak cruises,so we had the whole morning and some hrs in the afternoon for the drive towards MS.We started at 10:30am and went straight to a supermarket to buy us some food for lunch during the drive.The first 30km of the 119kmdrive was thru the banks of Te Anau and Te Anau downs(flat regions).Then came the big alpine mountains with snow capped peaks.As we drove towards the mountains,the terrain changed and lupins and yellow colored flowers could be seen all over.This was a perfect picture spot to capture the different colors in one.Later during the drive we took a small walk to see the mirror lakes.Ray had recommended us to take a 45min nature walk thru the “beech forest” to get a glimpse of Lake Gunn.We drove to the “Divide” to see the start of the famous Hollyford and Routerban walks.The terrain had started to be quite mountainous and road was zig-zag from now on.Since it was summer time the snow has started melting and small waterfalls could be seen in numerous places.Just before reaching the MS ferry terminal we stopped to see “the chasm” ,so called because of the spectacular rock formations caused by the flowing river and wind.After having snack we had got,we went to the ferry terminal to check in for our 2 hr cruise.

The first sight of Milford Sound was Ooh..la ..la, mitre peak rising above the green water of Milford sound.The ferry terminal was like an airport terminal because of the number of tour buses waiting to leave for Queenstown.

Day4- Lake Tekapo,Lake Punakaki and Te Anau

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Day3- Christchurch and Lake Tekapo

The day didn’t start of exactly as we had planned.Saunil suddenly got up and it was 9:45,we had set an alarm for 7:30 .Our check out time was 10:30 so hurriedly took a shower,took a few pics of the room and checked out at 10:15,good job for tat!After the check out we went to relish the complimentary breakfast tat the hotel had to offer,we were the last of the ppl before they would close for breakfast.We had tea,pancakes,cereals,fruits,beans.We clicked a few more pics of the beautiful surroundings of the hotel and left for the city centre in the complimentary hotel shuttle for the punt ride.The punt ride is similar to the gondola ride on the Avon river which runs across the city except tat the punters don’t sing songs but they explain the historical monuments and the history of the city.Our punter was a handsome,sweet guy who had traveled to Mumbai and the southern part of India.We had a nice time talking about how he loved India and how we are liking our stay in New Zealand so far.Here once again he inquired about the Henna tattoo on my hand and if we were on our honeymoon.He was like the nth person who asked us if we were on our honeymoon,felt good though :-).The punt(boat) ride was very calm,relaxing and pretty.I loved Christchurch,with pretty gardens,ancient historical monuments.The cathedral square was the most lively,active place in the city.We also bought a Christchurch magnet souvenier.On our way back to the hotel,we went to the botanical garden.We clicked lots of pics at the central rose garden,wonderful blooms of roses of all colors!! Very nicely maintained garden.We started off for lake tekapo at around 12:30.One distinct thing about the driving here is the roundabout(round way) you come across and the 1st,2nd exit you take on it.Within the city the speed is around 35 km/hr and 50km/hr on the highway,unique thing about these highways are most of them are single lane,they don’t need multi lane highways so..The drive to Tekapo took us thru the beautiful,southern alps with sheeps,cows grazing all around.Lonely planet book says that the sheep to man ratio in NZ is 9:1 and tats wat we saw!!!To top it all the road had beautiful purple and blue flowers called “lupins” on either side.We could see even more of them along the way.We reached our stay for the night at Lake Tekapo called the “Moonlight Bed and Breakfast” Bed and Breakfast.B&B is a very attractive accommodation option in NZ.It usually is a family home with a room or two rented out for visitors.It also gives an opportunity to interact with the host and get tips for things to do in that area.Our host at moonlight was Marianne.She welcomed us to her beautiful home and then quickly escorted us to our room called “Sol”.It was a beautiful ensuite room at the west end of the house with a big window opening into the mini garden/nursery.It had cute patio outside with pleasant surroundings.After a short nap and refreshing ourselves we headed towards the famous “Church of the Sheperd” at 5pm.

The view of the lake from there was beautiful and mesmerizing.As usual we took a lot of pics with the scenic backdrop of Lake tekapo and southern alps,lupins were all around to make it even more beautiful.We took a small walk along the lakeshore and then saw a statue of a dog.It was built in memory of the dogs which helped to explore this area.From there we went to see the small town centre.Ami wanted to have her favourite chai tea latte.We also wanted to try a local dessert called “Mice” mainly made of chocolate.We quickly chose a small bench at the Lakeshore.Meanwhile Ami was very excited to have the small “mice” that she bought.After calling back home Saunil was interested in finding more info on the stargazing tours that Tekapo is very famous for.We booked a stargazing tour for 10:30pm that night.We were very excited for this tour.After enjoying a filling dinner at the Thai restaurant we headed back to our room.The stargazing tour was highly dependent on the sky being clear and we were waiting in anticipation that we do get a chance to go for this tour.The tour was called “Cowan hill tour” and it included a bus ride to a top of the hill with a renowned astronomer.The tour started at 10:30pm and we were all dressed in warm clothes.When we reached the top of the hill it was still not completely dark and so couldn’t see most of the stars.The astronomer first showed us the Planet Jupiter and some other famous constellations such as cross,dog,bull etc.He used a laser pointer to show us the different constellations.As time passed it became dark,windy and the sky was full of stars.It was a beautiful sight and it was told that Lake Tekapo has the best southern sky for viewing stars.After a while we were taken inside a big dome shaped room with a telescope for a closer view of the Milky way galaxy,Jupiter planet and its moon,some famous constellation and some other galaxies.At the end of it we had a lot knowledge about stars and felt like kids gazing at the extraordinary stars and galaxies.We returned back to our room at around 11:30pm and went to bed.

Day1 and 2- Auckland and Christchurch

Stunning New Zealand...a trip closest to our hearts!!!(12/14/2009-12/25/2009)

Our 11 day honeymoon trip was fabulous, picture perfect. We can’t thank God enough for helping us with the best of weather and for letting everything fall in place.NZ is bestowed with beautiful mountains, lakes, plains, rivers, waterfalls and lots of other natural landscape but its also the friendly and loving people that add to the beauty of the place. They made us feel special by congratulating and wishing us on our newly married life, it felt great. We have had the opportunity to go on a couple of trips before but this trip was truly special and very close to our hearts.We both love traveling and exploring the many beautiful parts of the world and with lots of luv,excitement and enthusiasm in our hearts we expect to have many more unforgettable traveling experiences in the yrs to come.