New Zealand Trip 2009/2010 Part 5

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Salmon sashimi lunch bought from Salmon shop in Mackenzie district. Like I said earlier, awesome beyond words


Finally saw my fav muscle car in the flesh @ town of Twizel: the Ford Mustang. Simply classic.


YHA at Mount Cook



Hooker's Valley @ Mount Cook. It's a pretty long walk with strong wind blowing at ~100km/h. We turned back halfway due to uneven path and worry about parents' safety. (Well, got my trail walk kick at Kea Point later on :p)


What does this rock look like? (No prize for guessing right :p)



Alpine Monument, where some tablet bearing the names of climbers who had attempted to scale Mount Cook and perished. They have my respect. Trying to take steady shots of this site while 100km/h-wind trying to blow me off my balance is nothing compared to the feats these climbers had performed.


Closest view of Mount Cook a tourist can get. You have to take a 1-hour walk from YHA hostel to Kea Point and another hour back to hostel. Suffered a sore knee for a week when returned to Singapore.


Just love the traveler quotes in YHA


The locals who camps out uses this as toilet paper. Only available in higher grounds of NZ and trust me, it's soft like a tissue paper.


My sis just revealed how chilly Mount Cook area is (and it's Summer). The area is known for its unpredictable weather (can be sunny in one moment and rainy the next)


A Kea residing at the visitor centre. It's not shy at people at all.


Church of the Good Shepherd at Lake Tekapo (One beautiful lake with greenish blue water)


Lake Tekapo view from inside the church


On our way back to Christchurch. Rumba likes to stick his head out of the car to enjoy the breeze.



Back to Kaikoara again, this time to try fantastic seafood feast from this stall. No, tourists don't come this far here, so we feel privileged to taste real authentic NZ seafood feast, thanks to Liam & Bee :D

So that's all folk, 2 weeks plus of awesome drive round the South Island, seeing much more than I ever did 6 years back. For more photos, you can always view them at my Flickr site by clicking this link:
NZ Trip 2010

New Zealand Trip 2009/2010 Part 4

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Scenery along the road....


Rented a tourist flat for parent at Kurow while Liam and sibling goes to Lake Aviemore to spend the night, camp-in-nature style.



Stopping by Waitaki Dam to take some nice shots. Nice.


Need to look out for this as we walk around. It will cause some serious damage to your skin if comes in contact with it.


On the way to Lake Aviemore



Benson Dam Power Station



Sunset at Lake Aviemore..... with Liam & siblings' favorite beer



How I loved lying on the grass and watching the most beautiful nightsky I've seen so far.


Liam woke me up early (I only slept 4 hours due to very cold night) to a chilling morning just to kayak in Lake Aviemore. I'm glad he did that. Just beautiful.



Rumba was given a good "push" (I'm certain it's a kick Liam haha)into the water. I miss the dog.



Liam preparing breakfast with Phoebe using a unique "toaster" to toast the bread



Takiroa Rock Art site. Where we admire the drawings left behind by the Maori natives.



The town of Duntroon, where the old jailhouse and blacksmith store are being preserved as NZ's heritage.



Inside the blacksmith shop (we were not supposed to go in there due to instability of the shop structure, but we did) and the self-made pistol.


Passing by a Salmon farm where we bought a feast of fresh salmon sashimi for lunch. Best salmon I've eaten. Awesome beyond words.



On the way to Mount Cook, one of my favorite destinations.

More to continue in next part......

New Zealand Trip 2009/2010 Part 3

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Beautiful morning @ Queenstown


Skyline Gondola to view the entire town from top of hill


At the skydiving airfield. All suited up and ready to go but all flights grounded when my turn to board the plane. What luck.


Lunching at lakeside of Queenstown


YHA @ Te Anau


Capture this scene while Liam & Bee were admiring the sunset and scenery (Te Anau)


Airplane landing on water.... (Te Anau)


Uber wet weather on the way to Milford Sound



Milford Sounds during wet weather. Very different sight as compared to clear weather condition.


A factory at town of Gore

YHA Catlins... one of the eeriest hostel we've stayed in NZ. It was a mental asylum before the conversion to hostel. And oh, it's rated "4-star" hostel. Liam and siblings all went facepalmed.

Scenery at Purakaunui Falls


A short stay for lunch & grocery shopping at Dunedin. Parents went to enjoy themselves at the casino.



The round rocks at Maroeku beach. The place had turned into a tourist spot. We have to pay NZ$2 to get in, but we went in without paying for it. Liam was right, why should we pay some commercial leech for something that has always been free to public in the past? Utter BS.

To be continued.......