Thursday, April 4
Charlie stopped by for a short visit in the morning before going to class. That afternoon he was leaving for a weekend trip to the North Island of New Zealand, so Mom, Dad, and I were on our own for our last days.
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| Ice cream treat in Twizel |
The only thing on our itinerary for today was drive to Benlea Cottage & Farm, our overnight accommodation and next day adventure. Taking the most direct route would have been four hours, but Mark, our tour guide from a few days ago, suggested we take a longer path that would let us see Mt. Cook, the highest peak in New Zealand. So, from 10am to 5pm we drove. And it was so worth it!
Shortly after stopping in the quaint town of Twizel (and getting some ice cream!) we passed Lake Pukaki. First, we were blown away by the bright torquoise-blue water, then we rounded the tip of the lake to see the mountains, with Mt. Cook proudly at the center, at the opposite end. Stunning. Surreal. Literally breathtaking.
The guidebook I read while researching our trip said that if you plan to visit Mt. Cook you should plan two days because the peak is covered in clouds or rain half, if not more, of the time. Rain had been in the forecast for this day all week, but it ended up being the absolute perfect day with blue skies, sunshine, and the peak of Mt. Cook completely unobstructed.
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| Mt. Cook, the highest peak in NZ |
Closer to Benlea, we passed Rakaia Gorge which was dramatically beautiful as well with sheer cliffs, a deep valley (hence the name "Gorge"), and brilliant blue water running through.
We found the cottage and met Cathie, the Mrs. of the farm, who was so welcoming and friendly. We unloaded our bags, then went to Methven for supper. The fish & chips and cheese balls appetizers at Dubliner's Irish restaurant stuffed us sufficiently. On the drive back to the cottage we saw a beautiful sunset over Mt. Hutt. Today was truly a treat for the eyes!
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| Looking across Lake Pukaki to Mt. Cook (center) |
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| We were very lucky to have a clear day and see the peak of Mt. Cook |
Friday, April 5
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We woke up to snow on Mt. Hutt for our farm tour.
Definitely reminded me of backpacking in Arizona! |
Up and packed before Cathie came to get us for our tour of Benlea Farm, a working sheep and cattle farm. It was chilly and raining lightly, so being inside her SUV for the tour felt nice. They have about 4,000 sheep and 400 Holstein bulls.
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| Touring the shearing shed. |
They are testing something kind of new where they plant several different kinds of plants (currently eight) in the sheep paddocks to give them variety (imagine yourself eating the same thing your entire life). They had kale, turnips, radishes, swede, alfalfa, and some others. Some paddocks are also just grass and they're testing to see which method is best as far as helping the sheep grow fast.
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| Feeding George (left) and R (right) potato chips |
We saw their three dogs, Pound, Luke, and Fly. Pound is a header, meaning he pushes the sheep away from him with his barking. If you say, "Pound, stand" he'll start bark/howling, which Dad got to try. In contrast, Luke and Fly are dogs that push the sheep back towards you.
To finish the tour, we got to feed potato chips to the family's pet sheep, George, R, and Max. They LOVED the chips! Then it was inside where we sat and chatted with Cathie, her husband Sam, and son James next to a big, warm wood fire. Cathie had made delicious scones that we enjoyed with butter, raspberry jam, and cream. We then loaded in the car and took the direct route back to Dunedin.
After checking into our downtown hotel, we walked to The Octagon for last-minute souvenir shopping and supper at Velvet Burger before heading to a rugby match! A map wasn't necessary as we followed the crowd to Forsyth Barr Stadium to watch the Highlanders (Dunedin's team) take on the Hurricanes. We had first row seats, near one of the goal lines! The action was
right in front of us during some plays and Dad almost caught a ball one time! Fun fact: if you catch a ball, you have to give it back right away. Unfortunately the Highlanders lost, but it was an exciting game!
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| Front row seats for the Highlanders vs. Hurricanes match! |
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| No zoom necessary |
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