I've been very lazy about the blog lately, so I am trying to catch up. Jamie and Derek Ammons, friends of mine from Louisville, came to visit us in New Zealand! They came in late March, and it was such a treat. While it was only for a few days before they headed off to Australia, we definitely made the most of it! The trip started off a little bumpy, since Jamie and Derek's luggage didn't arrive in New Zealand with them, but luckily they both had their luggage by the next day. One big difference between Air New Zealand and many other airlines worldwide... Air New Zealand actually sent someone to our house to drop off their luggage when it arrived. Talk about service! While they were here we did some sight seeing of Wellington, and even took the Interislander Ferry to the South Island and stayed in Picton for a mini-trip. St. Patrick's Day gave us a chance to take them downtown to experience the nightlife of Wellington. There is a very big "party scene" in downtown Wellington, and it's quite a sight to see. St. Patrick's Day was no exception. I have to be honest though, we were heading home about the time the majority of the people head out, but I'm just too old to stay out that late!
After a few days of Wellington exploring and March Madness watching, we headed for the Ferry! The Interislander Ferry is a really great experience. The scenery is beautiful and the ride to the South Island is about 3 1/2 hours. You land in Picton, which is where we stayed for a night. The ride was smooth (although Jamie slept through most of it!) and we got some great pictures. Once in Picton we walked around for a while, watched some more basketball, and then headed to Lochmara Lodge. "Lochmara Lodge Wildlife Recovery and Arts
Centre is set on the tranquil shores of the Queen Charlotte Sound in the
Marlborough Sounds, New Zealand." (from their website). A boat picked us up in Picton and took us to the lodge in the sounds. It was a little cold and windy, but that didn't make it less beautiful. It was such a great place. We had dinner scheduled for an hour after we arrived. So we took the hour and walked around. We looked at all the animals and took in all the views. There are some great pictures you can check out by clicking on the link at the bottom. Dinner was absolutely delicious! After a little relaxing in front of the lodge's big fireplace we headed home. The next day the weather was awful. After several cancellations and delays due to weather, we finally boarded a ferry back to Wellington. The winds and rain we so severe that the boat ride back was nothing short of nerve-wracking. These are REALLY big boats, and usually you can't feel much at all while on it, but not this day! We were tossing and swaying the whole time. It took an extra hour longer than normal to get home just because of the weather. A good chunk of people on the ferry got seasick, but luckily we weren't in that group. To be honest, Elliot had a blast. He loved the excitement!
The next day we sent Jamie and Derek off on the next leg of their journey, and Elliot and I were left with a gift from them of several cans of Skyline Chili. Yum, yum, yum!!! Some of the pictures of the trips are on Flickr, so just click on the link below!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/eandleenz/sets/72157629983946257/
