Queenstown, New Zealand Part 2

Tuesday, August 4 - Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Queenstown, New Zealand is filled with so much to do!  One day we rode the Queenstown Gondola to the top of the mountain for an incredible view. The gondola was like a sky lift as we had our own car going up and coming down the mountain.  There are a couple of shops and a restaurant up top and a luge ride, but by far the best thing was the view.  We could see for miles as it was a really clear day.

Another fun thing we did was tour the little town of Arrowtown.  We toured the Chinese goldmining settlement and went in several cute little shops.  We actually went in the Arrowtown Museum; it was well done and quite informative.  We opted for lunch at The Postmaster.  It was snowing, so the mulled wine really hit the spot, and the food was yummy.

After Arrowtown we went by the first bridge bungee jump in New Zealand.  The set up is great with a gift shop and observation deck for those who would rather watch than jump (that was us).  We did see three jumpers.  It was fun watching them dive off towards the rushing water below.  Their brains had to be telling them – this is not right!

We also toured Gibbston Valley Winery.  We took the wine cave tour (we were the only two on the tour!), and got to taste four different wines including a barrel taste.  Our guide was really nice and knowledgeable about the actual winery and different types of wine.  Once the tour was over, we tasted three more wines and bought a delectable bottle of pinot noir to take with us.

We absolutely loved our time in Queenstown!

Queenstown, New Zealand Part 1

Tuesday, August 4 - Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Queenstown, New Zealand is absolutely breathtaking.  On Tuesday, August, 4 we flew from Sydney to Queenstown.  We arrived on a cool, rainy day, but Hertz had our rental car parked right outside the door of the airport.  We had to get a bit acclimated to the car as the steering wheel is on the right and you drive on the left.  On our way to the lodge, Edi and I were awestruck.  No matter the direction, the view was incredible, almost unreal.

We arrived at The Remarkables Lodge and Boutique Hotel and got a warm welcome from the hosts and staff. The Alpine Premier Suite was so nice; it was quite comfortable with a nice claw foot tub.  It had a coffee/tea service and wonderful views.  The lodge itself is very homey with two different sitting areas, one with a cozy fireplace that is lit each night and one with a pool table and media area.  We enjoyed the hot tub and the sauna - the perfect way to relax after an adventurous day out in the snow!  The night of the big New Zealand/Australian rugby match, Alan and Amanda set up the big screen and projector for us and other guests to enjoy.  Amanda brought in chips and popcorn – it was a fun evening.  The backyard area not only has an incredible view of the Remarkable Mountain range, but it has goats and chickens that we got to feed!

Queenstown is such a cute town.  It has great shops and lots of restaurants from which to choose.  We spent some time shopping and just enjoying the town.  We had hot chocolate at Koko Black – the best hot chocolate I have ever had!

New Zealand is quite the adventure land.  We drove to the Snow Farm one day.  It was cold and snow was in the forecast.  As we got closer and closer to the top, the road conditions got worse.  We had to stop to put snow chains on the car; the only problem…one of them was broken.  We made it to the top with only the one, and luckily Edi was able to get someone to help him fix it before driving back down.  Once there we were ready for our dog sledding adventure.

I’m not going to lie…I was a bit nervous, but once we were introduced to our dog team and were taught how to lead the pack, it was an absolute blast!

Next was cross country skiing.  I have always wanted to give it a go thinking it would be easier than down hill skiing.  It was quite difficult as you really have to maintain your balance.  We had a really good instructor and after our lesson got to ski the trails.  I would love to do it again. 

By the time we had finished the trail for the third time the snow was really coming down, so we had to get that other chain on the tire and head down the mountain.  Edi was a great driver!  We made it down the mountain safely, and stopped to take the snow chains off.  Our dog sled instructor and our cross country ski instructor both stopped and asked if we were OK -  it was really nice that they took the time to inquire.  We stopped at the Cardrona Hotel for a break.  They had a roaring fire going, so we had a beverage (I opted for wine since I was not driving) and cheese scones.  They were like giant cheese biscuits from Red Lobster – yum!  Just what we needed.  After our refreshment, we were on our way.

Back at the lodge, we had dinner at the lodge with some of the other guests.  Amanda and Alan had prepared a delicious Indian meal – it was scrumptious!  After dinner, we did a little reading by the fire.  What an incredible day! 

Sydney, Australia Bridge Climb

Tuesday, August 4, 2015 – Wednesday, August 12, 2015

So, I am on a tourist visa.  That means I have to leave the Philippines every six months; my six months was up, so we decided we needed some winter weather.  The first leg of our journey took us to Sydney, Australia.  It was a 10:15 P.M. flight on Philippine Airlines which would take eight hours.  The good thing is we were able to upgrade to business class using our points!

We arrived in Sydney and used uber to get to our hotel, Sheraton on the Park.  We had a corner room overlooking Hyde Park, really nice.  We took a two hour nap and then trekked over to the Sydney Bridge for the climb.  The bridge itself is beautiful and the harbor all around is really breathtaking. 

The set up for the climb is impeccable.  We checked in and waited for our group to be called.  It gave us time to look around the gift shop and grab a quick bite to eat as the climb would take three and a half hours.  Our numbers were called, and we headed into a room where we were given the low down.  We got our jumpers and then met our guide for the climb. 

Our guide gave us an explanation of what we would be doing and then gave us our “clip ons.”  We had hats, headphones, fleece jackets, hankies all of which was clipped to our jumpers.  We did a practice climb up a steep ladder – one just like the one we would be climbing on the bridge.  I don’t think anyone was apprehensive as we were so well prepared and not rushed in the least.

It was finally time to approach the bridge.  We were attached to the bridge the entire time and had to slide our attachment along this cable as we went along.  Actually, it slid on its own most of the time which was great.  We could enjoy the incredible view and listen to the interesting information and entertaining tales from our guide.

Along the way our guide took pictures of us as we were not allowed to take anything with us.  When we got to the peak of the bridge, we had a group photo taken.

The climb was enjoyable.  The stairs were wide and not steep.  It was cool to be above the cars and the train; we got quite the rattle when the train passed by.  On the way down, the wind had picked up, and it really felt like we could have blown right off.  Back at base it was nice to get a respite from the wind!  When it was over, it was almost surreal looking up at the bridge realizing we had just come from up there. 

This was a definite “glad we did it” adventure!

Claire's Visit

June 13 -30, 2015

My fifteen year old niece came to visit us here in Manila.  She got here on Saturday after a long flight from Los Angeles...

We can't get no bake cheese cake here, so Claire brought us three boxes! We whipped one up and it was oh, so good...

The Thursday after she got here, we flew to Palawan for the Puerto Princesa experience.  We stayed at the Sheridan Resort which is right on the beach, and a great beach it is.  The water was warm and crystal clear...

The pool was fantastic, and the food was delicious...

The first adventure we went on was the tour of the underground river - one of the new wonders of nature.  We walked over to the wharf and boarded the banca.  After a twenty minute boat ride, we arrived at a beach where we disembarked.  We already had our life vests, so we just had to don our hard hats.  Claire and I sat in the front seat and were responsible for the light which was just hooked up to a battery like jumper cables.  We had to really listen to the guide as he told us where to point the light.  

Our next adventure was the Sabang Zipline.  A little jeepney picked us up at the resort and we traveled down this bumpy, dirt road.  From the jeepney, we stepped on to a bamboo raft and were pulled across the river.  Then we walked down the beach for a ways and then up a mountain path that led to the zipline start.  We got suited up - Claire opted for superman style while Edi and I opted for the  sitting style.  It was one long ride over the sea with an incredible view - exhilarating!  We boarded a little banca for a quick ride across to the beach, walked down a little beach trail and were back at the jeepney for our ride back to the resort.

After a little lounging by the pool, Claire and Glen decided they wanted to do the ATV adventure.  I decided I wanted to do the lie on the beach in a lounge and read with an occasional swim adventure.  They got back covered in mud having had a great time.  The sea was a great place to cool off and rinse off all that mud.

After a great few days in Palawan, we flew back to Manila.While Edi worked, Claire and I just hung out.  We went to the sky park on top of SM Aura, we frequented Starbucks for our coffee fixes, had Magnum bars and Coldstone to satisfy our ice cream cravings, and of course we had to get pedicures!

We had yummy dinners, went to the bookstore, played basketball and badminton...

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One of the places we took her here in Manila was the Manila American Cemetery.  There is so much history here.  Meandering around the monument you get a history lesson from looking at all of the mosaics illustrating what happened in the war.  The cemetery is beautifully manicured and a nice peaceful place to get away from the hustle of the city just steps away.

One day we went to Ocean Park on Manila Bay.  We had a great time looking at all of the exhibits.  The tunnel is really cool as we walked through it and saw aquatic life swimming all around us...

There was a jelly fish exhibit and a penguin exhibit with a polar ice room we got to go in.  It really wasn't much of a polar ice room, but it was a nice respite from the heat.  We didn't even wear the parkas they wanted us to put on.  We had fun at the seal show and enjoyed seeing the Philippine Eagles.  Claire even got to feed one - it actually landed on her arm!

Claire got a taste of what it would be like to ride in a jeepney, and she got to enjoy the fish spa...

There was this cool exhibit of action heroes and different movie sets.  We especially liked the one from Spiderman...

Edi and Claire rode the 3D experience.  I watched them on screen outside of the room they were in.  It was so funny to watch!

We ended our Ocean Park experience with the sting ray exhibit where we actually got to pet the sting rays...

After we left the park we headed over to the Mall of Asia Eye.  We got there before it opened, so we enjoyed a nice cold coffee drink at Starbuck's.  Back at the eye we hopped in the car and began our journey up, up, and around.  We were very thankful that the cars were air conditioned!

Just hanging out and being together was the best part of all.  Kona and Kimbrel loved Claire being here, and they miss her!  Of course Edi and I do too!

 Good Times!