Close enough to touch?
By cloudwatcher
@cloudwatcher (6861)
Australia
May 28, 2010 7:22pm CST
We have returned from our 17 day tour of New Zealand. I doubt if there is another country in the world that offers such a vast diversity of scenery and experience in such a small area. With thermal hot springs over a vast area and bubbling boiling mud pools, amazing coastlines, numerous fiords, high alpine peaks, waterfalls galore, stunning rock formations, snow capped peaks and glaziers, volcanic peaks, dense rain forests, enormous lakes and rich grazing lands, there is everything except desert.
The best experience on the trip has to be a helicopter flight over Fox Glacier and Franz Joseph Glazier and landing on and walking on Fox Glacier. The scenery was awesome and the experience worth every dollar. Fox Glacier is 13km long, beginning at 2700m and descending steeply to 260m, with ice up to 300m deep in the neves.
Cruising Milford Sound in Fiordland, with immense peaks rising steeply from the water’s edge, and actually passing beneath a huge waterfall was another type of beauty.
Ever since schooldays I have known of the hot thermal springs in Rotorua, but that didn’t prepare us for the immensity of the place. I had thought it to be only a handful of springs in a small area, but it was as though the whole town and surrounds was on fire. These springs are everywhere, including some between houses. One of the town parks has numerous springs which are all fenced off because they are at boiling point with steam covering the area. The biggest spring, Pohutu Geyser, blows 30 metres (100 feet) into the air and the steam sprays a wide distance.
We had quite a bit of rain while on tour, but thankfully it was dry for the “big” experiences. One thing that amazed me was the rainbows. We saw many and I’ve never before seen such clearly defined colours, some almost like a child’s drawing, with real stripes of colour. Here is a photo of one rainbow, taken from the moving coach. We all agreed it looked as though we could reach out and touch it. It seemed to end just in front of us, almost on the side of the road.
Have you ever seen a rainbow as close as this?
I have tried to upload a photo of the rainbow but myLot is not cooperating. The only one I’ve been able to upload is the landing on Fox Glacier.
6 people like this
8 responses
@RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
29 May 10
That sounds like an amazing trip. I have long wanted to visit New Zealand but have not made it there yet. I have travelled right around the world but have not gone to the country that is on our doorstep. It is closer than flying to Perth! 
I have lots of friends who are Kiwis as the Gold Coast is full of them. They are all really nice people. We had some friends who we have not seen for a few years who came from Rotorua. (We call it Rootarower)
Did it stink much? I have heard that the sulphur smell can be really bad there.
I really want to visit the area around Queenstown. I love the snow, but up here in Queensland it does not exactly snow very often! 
It is just as cheap to fly over there to go to the snow as it is to go down to the ski resorts here!
I have lots of friends who are Kiwis as the Gold Coast is full of them. They are all really nice people. We had some friends who we have not seen for a few years who came from Rotorua. (We call it Rootarower)
Did it stink much? I have heard that the sulphur smell can be really bad there.
I really want to visit the area around Queenstown. I love the snow, but up here in Queensland it does not exactly snow very often! It is just as cheap to fly over there to go to the snow as it is to go down to the ski resorts here!1 person likes this
@cloudwatcher (6861)
• Australia
29 May 10
It really was an amazing trip and I thoroughly recommend it. If you do make it there, I recommend AAT-Kings coach tour. They are the best, with top hotels and food, great commentaries and full service - and competitive prices.
Yes, the sulphur smell was all over Rotorua, but it wasn't really offensive.
We also found the New Zealanders very friendly and helpful. I suppose they need to be, since tourism is such a big business for them.
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
29 May 10
Sounds pretty awesome. The thermal area sounds pretty comparable to part of Yellowstone. And I love rainbows. I did a discussion about a week ago with a rainbow picture I took, a sundog (ring around the sun). I had never seen one before. Anyway, welcome back, we've missed you!
@cloudwatcher (6861)
• Australia
30 May 10
It WAS awesome Dawn, and such a variety in such a small area!
This rainbow was very special. We all felt like we could reach out and touch it. I've never before seen one that hits the ground right in front of you. I wish I could load the picture but myLot is not cooperating.
1 person likes this
@cloudwatcher (6861)
• Australia
31 May 10
For me the "pot of gold" was the view and I'd love to share that but I still can't. I just tried again.
@cloudwatcher (6861)
• Australia
31 May 10
It was great Gaby and just what I needed. I've tried many times to upload the photo but the only one that loads is the one in this discussion. It was the only one that was scanned and loaded to the computer but it shouldn't make a difference. I've loaded plenty of them before. As per the guidelines, they are all jpg format, under 1mb and have a simple filename. I've never had problems before. I might have to look at finding a photo hosting site and give you the link.
@AmbiePam (93739)
• United States
29 May 10
It all sounds so amazing! I would love to go back to New Zealand. I was there ten years ago, but only spent 2 or 3 days there, and didn't get a chance to see much at all. Glad you had a good time, and you are now home safe and sound. With a lot of good memories and pictures.
@cloudwatcher (6861)
• Australia
30 May 10
Hi AmbiePam. I agree you wouldn't see much in 2-3 days. In fact one would need 2-3 months to cover all of the splendour, but we at least had a good taste in 2 weeks. The good thing about NZ (especially the South Island)is that there is so much to see in such a small area, so there isn't a great distance between them. I hope you have a chance to return there someday.
@maximax8 (31046)
• United Kingdom
29 May 10
It sounds like you had an amazing time in beautiful New Zealand. I went there when I was 29 years old and also found it to be a stunning looking landscape. I remember the Fox Glacier. I loved it in Rotorua with all the boiling going on underground. Seeing the geysers was really exciting. I enjoyed going to a set of mineral swimming pools. Each one was a different temperature. Most of all I found it amazing and enjoyable in Northland. Good luck with uploading your photos of your fantastic trip.
@cloudwatcher (6861)
• Australia
30 May 10
Hi Maximax. While Rotorua was great I must admit the South Island was by far the most spectacular, especially the fiords and glaciers. I think I'll have to return for a second trip.
@ShadowofHope2010 (173)
• United States
29 May 10
It is really amazing that you got the chance to see such a sight=)I envy you, my traveling friend! That is very, very exciting to see such beauty of nature close enough to touch, as you say. Such a beauty to see is a one in a life time chance,because us humans don't make enough green choices to preserve our wildlife. What kind of animals did you see? In such a magnificent place so full of biodiversity, I'm sure you saw just about every species on the planet!
@cloudwatcher (6861)
• Australia
30 May 10
We didn't see a great deal of animal life, besides the farmed areas with sheep, dairy and beef cattle and deer, but we did see quite a lot of birds in the rain forests and a fur seal colony on rocks on the coastline.
We really appreciated the coach tour with all the commentary and information. They were superb and took us to places we might have otherwise missed, but I would like to return and drive ourselves, spending more time in some areas.
@abbey19 (3106)
• Gold Coast, Australia
29 May 10
Hi Angela - your trip to New Zealand sounds amazing! It makes me want to go there and experience it for myself - I've always wanted to go but never got round to it. Perhaps when Lori finally moves there, 
I will have a good enough reason to vist!
The pic is great standing with the chopper on Fox Glacier - glad to see you and hubby were well wrapped up against the cold!
I will have a good enough reason to vist!
The pic is great standing with the chopper on Fox Glacier - glad to see you and hubby were well wrapped up against the cold!@cloudwatcher (6861)
• Australia
30 May 10
Hi Barb. You really should go there. Lori will be in the North Island but the South Island is absolutely crammed full of spectacular scenery and amazing experiences.
We might LOOK well wrapped but I wasn't really. The coach was supposed to check into the hotel and give us time to change, but because of approaching bad weather, the helicopter flights were brought forward and there was no time to change into warmer clothes. It was cold on the glacier but not too cold once back in the helicopter.
I'm having problems trying to load photos. I don't know if things have changed here but they refuse to upload. I haven't had this problem before. The only one I could load was the one on the glacier - not one of mine, but a scanned photo.
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
29 May 10
hi cloudwatcher you must have had a really wonderful time and saw so much wow.Ihave always wanted to go to New Zealand but never had enought money to take the trip. I have been to so many places here in the Us and enjoyed those trips so much,like Yellowstone Park and Glacier Park, then the trip to British Columbia in Canada. we visited a large glacier there and got sunburned when we were driven around in a snowmobile on the glacier. wow.Talking about rainbows makes me remember the Falls in the Black Hills in my home state South Dakota. onewas Bridal veil falls and I was enchanted by all the little rain bows made by sunlight sparklin on the misty falls.I believe the other one I remember was called RainBow falls. also we had several caves in S.D that were spectacular to visit too.
ealand but never had enought money to take the trip. I have been to so many places here in the Us and enjoyed those trips so much,like Yellowstone Park and Glacier Park, then the trip to British Columbia in Canada. we visited a large glacier there and got sunburned when we were driven around in a snowmobile on the glacier. wow.Talking about rainbows makes me remember the Falls in the Black Hills in my home state South Dakota. onewas Bridal veil falls and I was enchanted by all the little rain bows made by sunlight sparklin on the misty falls.I believe the other one I remember was called RainBow falls. also we had several caves in S.D that were spectacular to visit too.@cloudwatcher (6861)
• Australia
29 May 10
Hi Hatley. The holiday was absolutely fantastic with every day offering new spectacular views and experiences. I found it amazing to have so much variety in such a small area.
Enjoy your memories of your trips. It seems you've done most things.
