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| Feeding the Sheep outside our cottage at Broekhaven, Rotorua |
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| Zorbing at Rotorua |
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| Landing in the Glaciers on our private chopper, Franz Joseph |
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| Quad Biking in the Glacier terrain, Fox Glacier |
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| Cycling on the Lake, Wannaka |
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| Milford Sounds |
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| Cruise on Milford Sounds |
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| On the cruise in Milford Sounds |
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| Milford Sounds |
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| Feeding the Alpaca, on our private Golf Course |
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| Outside our hilltop cottage |
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| Riding the Pennyfarthing Bicycle |
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| Atop our private Hill |
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| A picture perfect Cloud |
Half the fun in New Zealand is on the road, they say. So we drove this whole month trip starting from Auckland Bay Islands in the North Island all down to Christchurch in the South Island. New Zealand is a nature and adventure lover's paradise. In scenic beauty, it far surpasses most parts of Europe and the thrills and adventures here are like nowhere else in the world. One of the highlights in the Bay Islands is a sky diving experience. Jumping down from a plane 12,000 feet above sea level took some gumption and the the two minutes or so in free fall made you feel like your life was going to end. But after that with 360 degree view of the green hills on all the sides, more than makes up for the free fall fright! I think it taught me how to die. Back to the Appledore Lodge within the green hillscape with own private outdoor Jacuzzi and heated outdoor pool in the hills,n this one is highly recommended.
After a few days of idling in the Appledore lodge we drive on to Rotorua, the adventure capital of the world. We check into this Brookhaven Cottage with a sheep farm in our cottage. You can feed the sheep, lambs they are called to take you back to to the days of Mary's little lamb. I believe that fairy tales and Cartoon Network must have been inspired by the landscapes of New Zealand. In Rotorua, I go "Zorbing". You can "Zorb". Zorbing is when you are thrown into a huge transparent inflated rubber ball and then they roll the ball and throw you with it down the green hill. So, you go up and down in it. But this experience is a must! Next we go on a high powered jet boat that makes spins along the lake that make you spin. But in the pristine beauty of New Zealand, all is fun! We then drive to Wanaka, the lake town and with each passing town, the landscape changes. Next couple of days in Wanaka, cycling on the lake and getting absorbed in the beauty around was very refreshing.
Then we drove to the South Island and came for the most memorable home stay. Our hosts Susan and Joseph own a farmland and also most of the hill. At the top we had sheep, lambs, a lovely luxurious home with Jacuzzi in our room and it was a great place to just relax and be. This well manicured hill with our own private golf course is by far, one of the nicest on this top. Then we drive off to Franz Josef and Fox glaciers, the two glaciers in the south Island. In a private chopper, we fly up to get a bird's eye view of the glaciers and then land on the Franz Joseph glacier. A moment to record. We spend a few hours playing in the snow untill we return to our Tree Lodge Hotel. In Christchurch, we love off the main square and then return by flight to Auckland before taking off for Mumbai. On route I stop over in Honk Kong for a week well spent at the Park Hotel by myself, shopping, meeting galleries and exploring business opportunities.
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