Walking upside down!

[MinZaPint]

To celebrate my big O birthday we went on 6 week hols to NZ via Singapore where we had a great time. Rosemary likes heights but I don't however to please her we went to Sentosa Island by



also had to go up the "Tiger" tower (sponsored by the brewer whose bar was closed!) can be seen at far end of shot from the revolving observation deck you get lovely vies over the Island.

Also went on a river trip from where I spied



at Clark Quay, the brewery at the back of the bar



The beer list, I couldn't resist their IPA and found an excuse to finish up there every day!



Rosemary preferred the Pilsner.

And then on to NZ starting in Christchurch where the earthquake damage was all to obvious



and the cathedral



Went on the tramway,







All in beautiful condition and manned by enthusiastic crews.

A peaceful scene on the river Avon



We had a wonderful time throughout our trip good food and drink met some lovely friendly people. We hired a car for our trip round the South Island and also discovered why NZ train drivers have so much time for modelling but more of that later.

Cheers for now, I've got a lot to catch up with on here. David

[port perran]

Looks like a great trip.
Thanks for sharing with us.

[Newportnobby]

 
Glad you and Rosemary had a good trip, David

[scottmitchell74]

Great pics! Thanks for sharing. Confirms my desire to visit NZ someday (amongst a long, growing list).

[Ray Haddad]

Sounds like you had a great time! All recharged now and system flushed with some nice beer. Not great beer, just nice beer.

Whenever I travel to Singapore, I bring along an old clunker of a caboose that I have had since the 1970s to show the toy stores I come across. Guess what? Some of them have trains that they've had put away for 20 or more years with prices to match! Buying an old Rivarossi or Con Cor locomotive was a real treat at 1980 prices.

[Bealman]

Great you went to NZ! One of my favourite parts of the world!

If you drove around the South Island you'd be used to sharing a one lane bridge with an oncoming train, then. 

[MinZaPint]

Heading south from Christchurch we stopped overnight at Timaru, nice spot



then through Oamaru, lovely buildings



past the Moeraki Boulders



To Dunedin with its magnificent Railway station


the interior



Old loco well looked after in a glassed building



Took a trip on the Taieri Gorge heritage railway





Coach interior



and one of the many viaducts



A Fairlee in the museum



And a couple of trams





And all while going through lovely scenery, on travelling days we aimed to set off at 9.30 with a coffee stop about 11.00 and lunch at 13.00 dumping the car in the evening so I could have a beer! at this stage the mainstays were Speights, Montieths Macs and Emmersons (a Dunedin treat that I had been told to look out for) plus whatever craft beers I could find.

That's all for now,  David

[Bealman]

Ah, bringing back memories now! Been on that railway - really excellent, and Dunedin station is magnificent. Didn't you go to the Cadbury's choccy factory?!

Speights is of course, brewed in Dunedin.... did you go to the brewery? Got that fresh spring coming out of the wall where townsfolk go and fill plastic bottles! Great stuff!

You sound like me... every where we go in a hire car (no matter what country), I always make sure we have a beddy byes location by 5pm and it's near a pub!

Great pics - keep 'em coming!

George

[MinZaPint]

In Dunedin we missed out on a visit to Speights brewery to go to REVolution a celebration of 100 years of motorcycling which was very good, oldest bike was a 1902 Motosacoche! and we did cross a lot of one way bridges.

Next we visited the Otago peninsular



Where we saw Yellow Eyed Penguins (very rare so we were told)



lovely beaches



and an Albatross colony



Then ferry from Bluff to Stewart Island a lovely remote spot.

View from the Lodge balcony



Bike with humour



a Kaka on the balcony



a Weka on Ulva Island in the bay



View of the port with ferry tied up.



Then back to the mainland more of which later.

Cheers David

[Bealman]

Great pics! Keep 'em coming, buddy! 

[MinZaPint]

Back in the car and off to Te Anau, first some typical NZ snack lunches, some part consumed.









And I was hoping to lose some wheight!!

Off to Doubtful Sound for the overnight cruise









Time for reflection!



Crayfish for tea?



No pictures of Te Anau but we had a lovely wedding anniversary lunch in Kepplers restaurant next to our hotel were we sat looking into the kitchen while our meal was prepared, had a very good haircut and went to a bar attached to a cinema were you could sit in armchair sized seats with your drink and watch a helicopter ride over glacier country.

and then to Milford Sound











This is a historic bridge with the no wider but slightly stronger one beside it.



Then off to Queenstown with a rather sad sight for us steam fans on the way, see you soon David

[Bealman]

Fantastic pictures! Especially that one of the reflection! I think you have earned the right to be called a photographer, David!

Haven't been to Doubtful Sound, but have been to Milford Sound. Did you get eaten by sandflies?

Yeah... that Speights Alehouse chain do amazing feeds. Always one of our favourite pitstops.

Keep 'em coming, buddy!

George

[MinZaPint]

Heading north towards Queenstown we came upon a very sad site



It last ran in April last year and now









It is up for sale and hopefully someone will come to the rescue

There was also this plaque the significance of which we found out in Queenstown although the details are there



The scenic ride alongside Lake Wakatipu





View from our hotel over the harbour



And a morning shot showing the Earnslaw, she was built in Dunedin, dismantled and shipped by rail to the lakeside at Kingston rebuilt and plying her trade ever since



The saloon



Steam up!



Part of the engine room



back at the dock



a lovely old ship and a very pleasant journey across the lake. Then off to Franz Joseph for an overnight stop on our way to Greymouth. Cheers for now,  David

[Pengi]

Lovely pictures - thanks for posting

[Bealman]

Love this thread! You are really bring back some great memories for me.

Interestingly, I've stayed in that very Queenstown hotel, mate! Very snazzy, too. Back in 1982, all the posh new bit wasn't there and we stayed in those little cabins you see in your balcony photo. I think it was called the A-Line back then. But the new part is heaps better!

Looking forward to Franz Josef!

George