Our paragliding and luge adventure topped off our adrenaline for a few days so we were ready to head out of thrill-seeking Queenstown.  The countryside is so vast and without getting out of the car, you lose perspective on how truly big the mountains are or how expansive the sheep pastures can be.   We found a stable for Audrey and Nina to explore the area on horseback.  

It was a rainy day, so the girls put on "bush ranger" coats and trotted off with their guide who had been a cattle-wrangler in the Aussie outback.   Mike and Jill nervously watched the girls disappear with strangers into the rainy wilderness so it was their adrenaline that rose this time.   

Jill and Mike found their own adventure trolling the grocery store, where they found tasty local lamb, fresh herbs and salmon for dinner.  They were amused by the shelves of vegemite and the entire sausage cooler.   

NZ has lots of sheep intestines available for sausage casings

 From Queenstown near the center of the South Island we drove to the west coast to the spectacular region aptly called Fjordland.  On the way we passed only 2 towns—each with a population of under 200.  We certainly did see some sheep, although Audrey says “the lack of sheep is the least disappointing disappointment of the trip.” 

When we arrived at Te Anau, we dumped our stuff and headed for the weird but intriguing sounding Glow Worm Caves.  We took a boat to the other side of the lake where we met a guide who told us about these strange insect larvae that live on the ceiling of the dark caves and emit phosphorescent blue light to attract their prey.  We then crept through the wet cave for about 15 minutes until we reached a cavern.   Then, admonished to be perfectly quiet, we got in a gondola and floated into the absolute blackness.  But it wasn’t completely dark:  above us were tiny twinkling lights like the crowded constellations of the southern hemisphere sky.  Weird but marvelous.   

The Glow Worm Cave felt like a Disney ride

The whole town glowed

That night, at about 9:30 pm, the whole town strolled down to the beach and we saw the most beautiful sunset we've ever seen.

The next day was highlight of the trip to Fjordland.  We got up early for a full day expedition that started with a boat ride across Lake Manapouri, then a bus over the Wilmot Pass, and finally another boat for a 3 hour cruise experiencing the beauty and majesty of Doubtful Sound.   This inlet along the ocean, like its cousin Milford Sound, in actually a fjord.  (A sound is formed by rivers cutting through the mountains, a fjord is formed by retreating glaciers.)  

Doubtful Sound--so named because you doubt you'll every find your way out

The extremely steep mountains were punctuated by occasional waterfalls that fill the lake with fresh water that floats on top of the dense salt water.  At one point the captain turned off the engines and we could hear only the rushing of the water and occasional bird.  It was majestic and definitely worth the special trip. 

At the end of the boat ride we stopped at the remote hydro-electric power plant that supplies power to the South Island as well as all of the energy needs for an aluminum smelting plant several hundred miles away.  This engineering masterpiece was built to utilize the energy from the drop between the mountain lake and the sea level fjord.  Bauxite from mines in Australia is shipped to New Zealand to be processed by this cheap source of energy.  The carbon emissions from the plant "disperse" across the sea.

Enjoying the fruits of the Islands

Actual size!

The fresh produce here is amazing.  The fruits, salad greens and vegetables taste fresher and more intense than anything we have at Dominick’s or Whole Foods.  We may become locavores but we’d have to move to California to get the variety we get here.  Last full day on the North Island, we stumbled upon a family-run orchard.  We went wild picking ripe apricots, nectarines, peaches, plums and early apples right off the trees.  Our chins and forearms were covered with sticky stone and pip fruit juices.  Many foreign backpackers make up the farm labor in these parts.  

You don't have to be 16 to drive a tractor

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Nina learning to use a picking basket

They offered Audrey and Nina jobs

Some buildings were by FLW disciples which seemed too much like home

The nearby fruit-shipping town of Napier was completely destroyed by an earthquake in 1931 and rebuilt entirely in Art Deco style.  And this being New Zealand, nothing has changed since then.  So, it is like a movie set and the people are almost as attractive. 

Fresh produce and clean air certainly help keep Kiwis healthy.

Reluctantly, we made our way to the tiny airport to fly from the North Island to the South Island.  No security at check-in helped expedite the travel.  We flew to Queenstown and the topography changed from hilly to mountainous.  This is the adventure sports capital of the southern hemisphere and it attracts an even younger, healthier and thrill-seeking crowd, especially on New Year’s Eve.  The party-atmosphere was calmer today so we headed up the mountain to supposedly just take in the view. 

Before we left home we told the girls that they were not allowed to bungee jump.  Paragliding off the top of the mountain however hadn’t occurred to us, and we were so taken by the view we said yes.  What were we thinking?  We must be used to the Kiwi "no worries" slogan.

When the girls got back from their adventure we all took a couple of runs on the “luge” which was tame but hardly safe and easy.  

You definitely need abs for the luge

No liability waiver or guard rails, but we made it unscathed and definitely pumped with adrenaline.  One of our New Year's Resolutions is to push our comfort zone and try new things.  Day One--January 1, and we are successful so far!