Monday, August 1, 2011

Day Twelve - Southland New Zealand


Monday, August 1st - Farmland to Snowy Peaks
Left Paihia early to leave time for getting lost since we are relying on old fashion road navigation, i.e. a map.  Arrived two hours prior to our flight out of Whangerei.  (Airport #8 of the summer) We were two of five people in the entire terminal, if you can call it a terminal.  The other three people were comprised of a counter clerk, a snack bar attendant, and a young boy working the tarmac.  Notice how I did not identify a rental car agent and as such, we had to drop our keys in a hole in a desk.  Hoping Hertz New Zealand doesn’t take itself and its cars as seriously as Hertz United States.  Little nervous to receive that credit card statement.  Definitely, the smallest airport either of us has ever flown into or out of.  And possibly the smallest flight!  We were two of nine people on board and two of those people were flying the plane!  (Flight #9 of the summer) Switched planes in Auckland and landed in Queenstown (Airport #9).  Got Hertzed (Rental #4) and drove two hours or so to Te Anau (City #8).  The scenery, oh the scenery.  The farmland of the North Island has been replaced with snow capped, sky scraping mountains of the South.  Staying at Hotel Distinction.  Lake view room – can’t wait to appreciate it in the daylight. (Bed #10)  Ate at a restaurant recommended by the receptionist – Olive Tree Café.  Delicious and decadent!  So decadent we needed bibs!  Amanda was asleep by 7:30 (damn Dramamine).  After a long, tiresome battle with his broken clippers, Rick called it a night as well.   

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