Sisters couple does New Zealand

Well, Beverly and I are recently back from a seven-month sojourn to New Zealand this past winter (their summer). Since Beverly is in a wheelchair she can't take the very long flight there so we went by cruise ship, departing Seattle last October. It was 5-1/2 weeks each way since the Holland America ship stopped at many Pacific Islands going and coming. The ship did the summer cruise season in the South Pacific, while we rented a house and car and stayed on New Zealand's South Island until time to catch the same ship home this past April.

Of course the cruise both ways was wonderful, they took such good care of us on the ship. We rented a house that was wheelchair accessible in the tiny village of Glenorchy (pop. 200) on Lake Wakatipu, surrounded by high, snow-capped mountains all around. The people of New Zealand are so friendly and outgoing - and they love Americans. They were surprised and pleased that Beverly and I were there for the entire summer - right through Christmas and New Year's. Some scenes in "The Hobbit" film were shot in Glenorchy, where locals were asked to work as film extras.

Mac and Jan Hay of Black Butte Ranch came to visit for a few days on their see-it-all tour of the South Island. What fun to introduce our friends from Sisters to the local Kiwis, as the New Zealanders call themselves!

Beverly and I rented a car and drove to the famous Milford Sound fjord on the South Island's west coast, taking a boat tour of the sound where we saw fat seals taking in the sun on a big rock, and many stunning waterfalls. We also drove to Mount Cook, New Zealand's highest peak, at more than 12,300 feet, in their Southern Alps.

Not only do the Kiwis drive "on the wrong side of the road" according to us Americans, but many of their highway bridges are one-lane, one-way bridges; you have to pay attention to the signs to know who goes first! And some of the bridges also accommodate a railroad track down the middle, not to mention many cyclists and herds of sheep!

We arrived back in Sisters in early May, and we find it so good to be home, but we are still unpacking! Our poodle, Magalie, was excited to see us although she had been well cared-for by Rick's sister from Minnesota and by Ann Magnus and her son Samson of Sisters.