Petula Clark in concert at the Mundaring Weir Hotel...great venue....

 

Dinner at our local Indian restaurant

 

Yes Thursday is golf day...here we are helping Lorenz and Pauline celebrate (they came 1st and 2nd today)..Idris Evan's trophy day...

 

Italian at my place tonight...Pam,Mandy,Vanessa and Raffaella

 

Frankie Valli in concert in King's Park....loved it!

 

It was no2 bookclub tonight and we discussed "Cutting for Stone" which was Cathy's choice. We all loved the book and really enjoyed the discussion. Cathy also brought a delicious bottle of red (and white and nibbles).

 

Every year we have a golf competition between the midweek lady golfers and the business lady golfers..WAMBAM...this year we midweek ladies  won (photo of Trophy)...I however lost my game to Judy Tompsett. It's always a fun day and today was no exception with fabulous cool, still weather and drinks and lunch after the game.

 

I really missed my Saturday morning swim and walk with the girls at City Beach.  I was very happy to be there this morning.... the girls are in the background . Sadly there was NO surf at all...

 

I was feeling inspired after yesterday's game so went to Burswood (golf course in inner city Perth) to practice my chipping and putting. Their practice area looks out over the river, very pretty.

 

Ducks lined up on the lake at our golf course(WA Golf Club)..looking at the first green. Today was a Silver Spoon event and I won Division 1...very excited I was!

 

Harmony Day....everyone at work brought a plate of food from their country of origin...we had a wonderful assortment of tasty dishes!

 

Annette, Rujia and Helen...birthday morning tea for Annette.

 

Monday morning coffee at Cabin Fever...great to catch up with Nat and Cathy...

 

Royal Fremantle Golf Club where we enjoyed a game with Natalie and Andrei...good thing to do on our first day back!

 

Dinner at Mandy and Graeme's to celebrate Chris and Gra's birthday(somewhat belatedly)

 

A long day traveling home...drive from Makarora to Queenstown, fly from Queenstown to Christchurch, then fly from Christchurch to Sydney, and then Sydney to Perth. 

Goodbye New Zealand! We had a wonderful holiday and hope to return one day.

 

We climbed Mt Brewster to view the glacier....hard climb but so rewarding..

 

Walking down...was a little scary!

 

Lake Hawea

 

 

The magnificent Makarora River...behind Rod's place...we enjoyed some beautiful evening walks along the river at dusk...

 

Today we drove along the scenic road over Haast Pass...stopping on the way at various places of interest...Blue Pools was one of my favourites with it's beautiful glacier fed water.

 

Haast Beach ...the Tasman Sea...we were the only ones there!

 

Home for the next five nights...Rod's house in Makarora...it was the old school house.

 

Day in Wanaka...lovely long lunch with Adrienne and Danielle and then a walk up Mt Iron where we had wonderful views of Lake Wanaka and Lake Hawea

 

Morning on the Sound....dolphins everywhere ....

 

and reflections.....

 

Cruising on Doubtful Sound...slept overnight on the boat.

 

After a wine on deck and enjoying the magnificent scenery, we went for a kayak in the Sound....fantastic fun.

 

Final hours of the walk....the track shadows the beautiful Routeburn River

The Harris Saddle.....views of the Darran Mountains and Hollyford Valley

 

Conical Hill (it wasn't a hill, it was a mountain!)...views out to the Tasman Sea.

 

Key Summit...we are now on the Routeburn track...fabulous weather...

 

High up in the Livingston Range... view of Lake McKellar

 

The track throught the beech forest up into the Livingston Range....lots of sphagmum moss.

 

Our 30th wedding anniversary!...walking through the beech forest....red,mountain and silver beech trees...lichens,mosses and ferns..... spectacular..

View of the mountain this morning from our hut.....

 

Lake Wakatipu...traveling to the starting point of our walk.

 

Greenstone Valley....

 

 Beautiful Queenstown...such a stunning place...we had a wonderful day sightseeing and shopping.

 

 

Aotearoa..Land of the Long White Cloud

Today we flew into Queenstown and had the most fantastic views from our window.

 

Akaroa ...a small town on the coast about an hours drive from Christchurch.

 

Bondi on an overcast Sydney day...

 

.....and Macario and Carlota.

A short but very worthwhile visit to Sydney on our way to New Zealand.