This photo probably most represents Milford Sound. Huge craggy sheer cliffs, greenery, numerous tiny or massive waterfalls.
What a long day. The bus picked us up at 8 this morning for our Milford Sound Tour and after a busy day we returned at 5. A quick meal at Thai Anau and now we're all wishing it was already bedtime!
Milford Sound and environs are so scenic!
At the Te Anau bird sanctuary I spotted Takahē and Whio (Blue Duck). 🐦
Punanga Manu o Te Anau/Te Anau Bird Sanctuary
Spent the night in Queenstown. Today we drive 2 hours to Te Anau then tomorrow, with any luck, we visit Milford Sound for a cruise — Milford Sound Tour from Te Anau with Fiordland Tours.
The landscapes in Mackenzie and Central are just jaw dropping.
Aoraki (Mt Cook) from Lake Pukaki.
I’ve never been to Cromwell on Lake Dunstan before. Stark mountains all around.
Delicious breakfast at Jack Rabbit in Takapō before we drive to Queenstown.
Dishes at the Dark Sky Diner were pricey, but the Fire grilled salmon served with roasted pumpkin, grilled asparagus, smoked cauliflower puree and caper cream was very delicious.
Filling in a few hours till our 11 pm tour — Takapō Stargazing at Mount John: The Summit Experience:
start by looking at the stars with the naked eye, as our guides point out the sights with handheld lasers. … Then you’ll dive deeper, with full use of our high-powered telescopes. That includes the impressive 16” telescope in our private observatory dome.
Meanwhile an almost full moon rises.
Lake Takapō.
We're travelling in Te Wai Pounamu (the South Island) with our friend Amanda from north of Auckland. Last night's accommodation was lovely: Hall on the Terrace (Facebook link) in Temuka (Te Umu Kaha):
a renovated Presbyterian Church Hall offering luxury boutique accommodation
Waimakariri River just north of Otautahi | Christchurch. So blue! And a famous braided riverbed.
So cool 🐦 : 3D printed eggs used in fairy tern rescue programme | RNZ News:
Staff remove the [real] eggs, take them to incubators at Auckland Zoo, and the terns continue incubating what they thought were their eggs.
… a record-breaking breeding season with 22 eggs laid and 14 chicks successfully hatched.
Hmmm, still none the wiser. Bizarre film. Asteroid City 🎥:
It is Anderson's homage to popular memory and mythology about extraterrestrials and UFOs witnessed in the American Southwestern desert in close proximity to atomic test sites during the postwar period of the 20th century.
I liked the alien.
The Outskirter's Secret (Steerswoman Series Book 2) by Rosemary Kirstein was as gripping as the first book. 📚
The world building in this series is phenomenal and as we learn more about steerswomen, outskirters and wizards there are some hints about what's going on below the surface. On to Book 3!
Fun moment: distance between where I live now and where I was born: Distance Between Cities Places On Map Distance Calculator:
18,759 km or 11,656 miles
Thanks to @crossingthethreshold.
Waikawa Beach, 20 March 2024. The Pacific Wave Appreciation Society appreciates even the smallest of waves. 🌊
Hmm, I'm reading out a brief speech from my iPad at a Horowhenua District Council meeting today. I had the speech in Apple Notes but was worried about accidentally editing (deleting) as I scroll. You can't make Notes read-only.
I ended up pasting into Pages, exporting a PDF and will use that.
