Friday, March 11, 2011

Should post photos first then write the text. With this blog, the first thing typed is the last item published. Live and learn!

Lawson's winery

Dolphins and swimmers

Dolphin encounter

Our dinner...chicken and roasted veggies (and wine!)

Barbecue hut and kitchen in Koikoura

To the Pacific

Typical vistas

This miner wasn't servin'!

We were to get billy tea but...

Downtown Greymouth

Houses in Greymouth

March 11

Got up bright and early and headed to book our 8:30 morning dolphin watch. It was hard to decide whether to swim with the dolphins or not and unfortunately we made the wrong decision. I think it would have been quite easy as the wet suits were buoyant and the ocean was remarkably calm. Regardless, we had a wonderful time watching the acrobatics of the dolphins and enjoyed chatting with the crew. Once again, the skies were blue and clear, no wind, and the day was quite sunny.

After the dolphin encounter, we headed north to Blenheim, wine country. Did one tasting, free of charge, and bought a wonderful bottle of Reisling.

Had dinner of fish and chips! The Kiwis love their chips (so do I!)

Hot pools after hike

Now to climb down...

Top of the glacier 300 meters up

Think they'd hire me?

Two novice climbers

Me and my crampons!

There are some steps which are cleared each morning by guides.

The glacier

A person did not heed warnings in 2008 and died

A very steep climb to the face of the glacier

March 9, The hike to the Franz Josef glacier