malcolm and the gang tramping in Paradise

malcolm and the gang tramping in Paradise
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

we reached paradise - the site of Isengard(LOTR)and found a lovely tramp (thats a walk for you brits)which took us around the edge of a mountain and through the bush.

malcolm on the boat in Doubtful Sound

malcolm on the boat in Doubtful Sound
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

loads of furry seals!

loads of furry seals!
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

we were literally this close to the whole smelly lot of them!!! there was a big colony of seals at the mouth of the sound - so fun to watch them waddling up and down the rocks and belly-flopping into the water but boy did they smell!

Doubtful Sound

Doubtful Sound
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

one of the highlights of the trip was a days boat trip on Doubtful sound. high cliffs with narrow waterfalls cascading down into the sea. lots of wildlife to see including 2 species of dolphin and seals! it was an awesome trip!

our backpackers in Te Anau with this view over Doubtful Sound

our backpackers in Te Anau with this view over Doubtful Sound
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

Queenstown gardens and lake Wakatipu

Queenstown gardens and lake Wakatipu
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

we made our way down to Queenstown where we spent 3 days enjoying the mountains and lakes until saturation point! Queenstown is very beautiful and such a fun place - on every street corner there's and info office where you can book skydives, rafting, paragliding, canyoning, jet boating and much more!! - adventure capital!

and a bit further on....lake Pukaki

and a bit further on....lake Pukaki
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

here's the gang again!

here's the gang again!
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

Rosie at Lake Tekapo

Rosie at Lake Tekapo
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

the lakes on the way south were this brilliant blue colour due to suspended salts in the water. beautiful! in the distance is Mt Aspiring national park.

church of the good shepherd at lake Tekapo

church of the good shepherd at lake Tekapo
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

this church is situated right on the lakefront and has a huge window behind the alter with the view of bright blue coloured water and massive mountains in the distance - just postcard material! makes you praise God for His creation! the warden at this little picturesque church was a christian so we prayed with her while we were there which she was so encouraged by. she has a special gift for talking to people and praying with them or introducing the christian faith to them.that was cool!

on the road from Christchurch to Queenstown

on the road from Christchurch to Queenstown
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

we set out from Christchurch and travelled south and through the centre of the country passing numerous snow capped mountains and loads of absolutely beautiful turquiose blue lakes. it was no chore to drive 8hrs that day!

view from the Christchurch gondola

view from the Christchurch gondola
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

there are a few fun things to do in Christchurch - an inspiring art gallery, delicious cafes, the quaint tram to jump on and off, the exceptionally old cathedral (well for New Zealanders its old!), lots of shops, and the gondola on the edge of town (pictured). we all jumped on the gondola to the viewing station (yep - even mum!!) to check out the view of Christchurch city and the harbour / coastline. you can see Rosie appreciating it all!

a rosy couple!

a rosy couple!
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

the lovely malcolm and camilla (mum + dad in-law) who were great fun to be with, had lots of laughs, and kept Rob busy even out of work hours! love your wit and humour!

for all those botanists out there!

for all those botanists out there!
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

not sure what these flowers are but they are such an unusual colour. there were on display in the botanical gardens in Christchurch

the rose gardens were awesome!

the rose gardens were awesome!
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

robs favourite place to shoot photos hence the number of pics in the rose gardens - here's malcolm, rosie, and me

mum coming up smelling of roses

mum coming up smelling of roses
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

for those of you who don't know this lady - it's my amazing mum! it was fantastic having her and dad around over christmas for their friendship and help with all the shopping and cooking! mum is such a servant - just the best person to have around when a job needs getting done! thanks for all the stitching up too mum!

more Christchurch images

more Christchurch images
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

malcolm and rosie enjoying a tour of Christchurch

malcolm and rosie enjoying a tour of Christchurch
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

it was the first time in Christchurch for all of us and even though the Douglas' were still pretty jet-lagged, we all had a fab time there! loads to see and do

christchurch is very quaint!

christchurch is very quaint!
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

dad on the tram enjoying the view!

Christchurch tram

Christchurch tram
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

Cathedral square, Christchurch

Cathedral square, Christchurch
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

Christchurch park - looks just like the UK

Christchurch park - looks just like the UK
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

loads of lovely parks!

Rob and Rosie in Cathedral square

Rob and Rosie in Cathedral square
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

although this sight may not seem unusual to most of you, it's a rare sight to see a Cathedral and a town square. we all felt quite at home.
there was a cute craft fair in the square on the day we arrived.

the beautiful.....botanical gardens!

the beautiful.....botanical gardens!
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

Christchurch is a beautiful city that is the most like a British city. the highlights were the tram, the central square and shopping, and the gorgeous botanical gardens (pictured)

sarah and dad on the tram

sarah and dad on the tram
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

we rode around Christchurch centre on the trams which were complete with a running commentary from the driver! it was great fun jumping on and off the trams to the next cafe!

the whole family!

the whole family!
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

well - here's the rest of the family that flew thousands of miles just to be with us for christmas.
robs mum and dad, and his sister, Rosie, arrived on the 6th Dec and after 24 long hours on a plane, the lovely Rob and I decided to load them all onto another plane 2 days later to head to the South Island of New Zealand which is less populated, is the home of many LOTR sites, and is truly beautiful!
Our first stop - Christchurch