Hopefully, this map, sorry though it is, may help you visualize where in the world we are. We started at the top, in Picton, where the ferry delivered us from the North Island. And on from there....follow the dark black line, not the yellow brick road.
Both of these greeted us upon our arrival at Lake Tekapo Lodge
Our hostess, Stephanie, and her husband, Alistair, were there to greet us. They just purchased the property last September, full of enthusiasm and very welcoming.
Steph and Alistair had remodeled the entire place before our arrival....quite different than the previous web pictures....and a lovely improvement
The beautiful Lake Tekpao from our patio
Waste no time....only one night here....hop on the bikes and take off! After my experience on a bike in Bonaire, I'm very skittish about doing it. I'm ok on my granny bike in Del Webb, but hand brakes and gears throw me for a loop. I suggest giving it up and returning the bikes to the inn (they were "free"), but Tom won't hear of it...."If we are gonna bike in wine country, ya gotta learn!" So we practiced in the quiet neighborhood before we took off on the trail.....
MacKenzie Sanders....This one is for you!!!
The stunning Lake Tekapo up close and personal....on our bikes
That's not fair, Tom!!! YOU have the camera!!
This church is featured in all the ads and promotions for Lake Tekapo....and it is quite lovely. Unfortunately, they closed the doors at 5:00 p.m. and we arrived at 5:30....peeked in the windows, but nothing to report other than the beauty of the location.
Having watched these dogs herd the cattle and the sheep across the South Island, it was impressive to see such a tribute posted 45 years ago....and the work continues to this day.
Speaking of sheep, this large flock was right in the middle of our bike path....they scattered when we approached, but not before I caught this photo....Fact: There are more SHEEP than people in New Zealand...that would be MORE than 4.5 MILLION!
Multiply that top number by 4, yes, that is FOUR!!!!! That is what we pay per gallon for gas....did we mention that the U.S. dollar LOST 10% between the time we booked all our reservations and the time we arrived???? EVERYTHING, food, lodging, clothes, groceries, gas....you name it....very expensive
This one is for you, Fieldstead!
Turning the keyboard to Tom...
Last night I went up to Mt. John to the observatory. They have at least 4 domed telescopes. The largest is 24" and is the largest in NZ. The 24-incher is used to look for new planets in certain areas of the sky. We weren't able to look though that one since real research was going on that night. There were about 40 of us on this night. We rode up in busses. Half way up the hill the bus driver turns off the head lights and operates in the dark -- not too bad on a full-moon night. They told us how to find the Southern Cross which was my particular interest. The stars, Alpha and Beta Centauri, point toward the Southern Cross; the long axis of the Cross points toward a distant bright star. Half way between the Cross and the bright star is due south. This is how the ancient mariners found their way when in the southern hemisphere.
We also viewed the 47 Tucanae, the name for this particular cluster of stars -- the light from this cluster is 16,000 years old by the time it reaches our eyes. We also saw The Jewel Box a cluster of stars that appeared to the early discoverers to be a box of jewels due to the many colored stars in the cluster. We got to see the full moon, Jupiter, and more. It was a fantastic experience. I wished that Reg and our astronomy friends could have been there.
