Tag: Queenstown

NZ Partial Panos (Part 3: Queenstown & The Matakauri Lodge)

We so enjoyed Queenstown and staying at the Matakauri Lodge from our first visit to New Zealand, we scheduled an extended return at the end of our vacation. We highly recommend the Matakauri Lodge. Their service is impeccable, and the views from the room are magnificent. The lodge sits on Lake Wakatipu, which is unusually long, deep (averages 900 feet… Continue reading

New Zealand ’17: Day 14 – Farewell NZ (Wed)

Flight Home: Air New Zealand Date During Trip: July 12, 2017 I awoke this morning and Steve had already left to go workout. He left the fireplace on. It was fabulous! It was snowing and had obviously snowed a good bit in the night! Gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous. I began organizing my suitcases for the trip home. It was a big… Continue reading

New Zealand ’17: Day 11 – Queentown (Sun)

Lodging: Matakauri Lodge Date During Trip: July 9, 2017 I’m starting the day here writing at the desk by the roaring fire. Steve is off to the gym (6:30am). Today I’ll sift through my clothes to see what needs to be washed so I can make it to end the trip. While far from over, this trips has been wonderful:… Continue reading

New Zealand ’17: Day 10 – Abel Tasman National Park to Nelson (Sat)

Lodging: Matakauri Lodge Date During Trip: July 8, 2017 We had a leisurely morning. I figured out how to use that weird, new-fangled coffee/espresso maker—after several horrific failures. The silly little single serving coffee container goes in sideways of all things! Anyway, Steve had 3 tiny cups of coffee. We drove to the tiny little Nelson Airport, which, especially for… Continue reading

New Zealand: Day 13 – Franz Josef Glacier

“Log Cabin” As with every place we have stayed, this morning’s breakfast at the lodge featured unexpected views. These mountain views were not obstructed by any clouds. Today was a sunny day. I absolutely love the bar soap this lodge uses. It’s called Palmarosa, Patchouli & Poppy Seed Soap and is made by Jaymar Soap and Body.  The poppy seeds… Continue reading

New Zealand: Day 11 – Wanaka

Today we drove back along the front of The Remarkables along Lake Wakatipu, heading toward Queenstown. This is such a gorgeous drive. We stopped for a bathroom break at a little roadside shop in the middle of nothing. They had all kinds of artist’s wares in this quaint little café. We also stopped in Kingston again, but this time we… Continue reading

New Zealand: Day 7 – Mount Cook National Park to Queenstown

Update Notice If you didn’t notice, I wrote an update to Day 7’s post. Mount Cook made a dramatic appearance in the very wee hours of the morning. Be sure to check out the update. This Morning Sunrise behind the mountains was striking this morning. While Mount Cook never made an appearance, the gorgeous sunrise made up for it. I… Continue reading