New Zealand day 20

          Brent and Gill, our B&B hosts, invited us to join them and another couple for breakfast aboard their 30-foot yacht this morning.  How could you refuse an offer like that?

 

Heading out on Lake Te Anau

          Lake Te Anau is the second largest lake in New Zealand by surface area, more than 40 miles long.  And other than the town of Te Anau, there is only one little farming village along its shores.  Because of its depth, it contains more fresh water than any other lake in Australasia.   As we cruised along, enjoying the beautiful scenery, I took a peek at the depth gauge:  400 meters.  That's over 1300 feet on my calculator, and the gauge bumped up to 422 at one point, as I watched.  After we had traveled 15 miles or so without seeing another boat, Brent pulled over while he and Gill prepared a complete breakfast.  What a way to begin a day!

 Cooking breakfast for the guests

           After our morning cruise, we were able to begin our journey back to the real world just before noon.  Traveling the same magnificent countryside back north, we arrived in Queenstown for a bit of shopping, a cup of Patagonia white chocolate and hazelnut (Charlie) and a cone of tramontana (cream and caramel, for Tricia).  This gave us enough energy to ride up 1400 feet on the famous Queenstown gondola and soak up another tremendous view.  It must be said that one of us had a difficult time with the ride each way, but that person is to be commended for her bravery.

 Part of Queenstown from on high

 

 

Additional dramatic photos unable to be uploaded

  

           By tomorrow the blogspot web site may be working properly for us and we will try to give you a final report from New Zealand.  Now, it's time to rearrange everything to try to fit it all into three suitcases and two backpacks and be ready for a morning flight to Auckland.

Charlie & Tricia

©2013