New Zealand has always been at the very top of my must-visit list. It is famed for its unspoiled beauty, clean environment, and is probably the only country where the population of sheep (and probably cows too) far outnumber its inhabitants.
Thanks to Air Asia's offer of cheap flight tickets to Christchurch last year, my friend Lim and his wife, my husband and I decided that November is a good time to take a holiday in New Zealand South Island.
NewZealand - home of the kiwi bird, the kiwi fruit and source of Manuka honey!
We decided to hire a car on arrival and drive around the island at our leisure. It was the best holiday I had ever taken. The scenery was breathtaking and the food absolutely superb.
It was springtime. The countryside was covered with yellow flowers in full bloom. In the lowlands other species of flowers were blooming in shades of lilac and pink.
Chan and Lim took turns driving and the two ladies were the navigators and back-seat drivers.
Along the way, we made lots of stops for morning/afternoon tea. We loved places like this which offer a hot pot of tea with fresh milk, fruits and homemade cakes.
Snow melt on our way to Milford Sound. The weather was just perfect!
This is the boat that took us around Milford Sound. All of us got a good soaking as the boat deliberately steered close to the waterfalls.
Along the route we had selected to try out different types of accommodation - motels, hotels and guest houses. This is a quaint cottage turned into a lovely guest house.
Dunedin is a charming city with many picturesque buildings and fantastic views. Many of my friends studied at Otago University. No wonder they were reluctant to come back to Malaysia.
The Cadbury chocolate factory situated right in the centre of town. Naturally we couldn't resist making a visit.
Yong and I in front of a mountain of chocolate bars.
Sadly, Christchurch is still a "dead" city. Although some restoration works have commenced, most of the city is still fenced up and none of the shops are open for business. Fortunately the outskirts were not affected by the quake.
At Queenstown we were told not to miss eating crayfish served at a famous roadside stall recommended by the travel brochures. So here we are enjoying our feast.
Four of us shared one huge crayfish with other side orders.
Not fully satisfied, we decided to stop by at this shop that sells live crayfish to check out their offers.
Blue cod is recommended as the best tasting fish from New Zealand waters. Most fish and chips shops here offer blue cod fish as one of their specialties.
We ended up buying a couple of crayfish to cook back in our motel.
Lim and I were the self-appointed chefs. There was only one pot supplied by the motel. Fortunately it could fit these two monsters.
Ta dah! After 8 minutes, the crayfish is ready for serving.
Among all the meals that we took in New Zealand I must say that the best was the meal at Hamner Springs. This restaurant is also recommended in the travel guidebooks. I ordered green mussels.
Lim had blue cod.
And Chan had pork ribs. Yum-yum!
Except when we crossed the mountains, most of the time we drove alongside lakes and the seaside. The water in the lakes were crystal clear.
Mount Cook in the background.
No wonder the salmon bred in this lake are so sweet and fresh. Enjoying sashimi by the lakeside.
Lim wanted to try bungy jumping and I (almost) felt game enough to accompany him. Unfortunately we arrived way past their closing time. It may be a blessing in disguise!
In the early days Chinese workers were brought over from China to work in the mines. They worked under very harsh conditions. Imagine trying to survive the cold winter in this little hut.
At the seaside resort town of Kaikura. Here is one of the friendly inhabitants taking a sunbath.
It was hot and very windy by the seaside!
What's there at Kaikura? Whale watching of course! We were warned that the weather was rough that day but safe for the boat ride.
This is the boat that took us out to sea. The cruise was a very well organized and the crew members were very professional and helpful.
In spite of taking a pill to prevent sea-sickness, I still felt very seasick. The others were fine and managed to take many photographs while I was busy throwing up. This photo of the whale was taken by Lim.
Just before we boarded our plane back to Malaysia we visited the Antarctic Centre located next to Christchurch airport. Due to lack of time we could only view some of the exhibits.
Chan insisted we enter the special chamber to experience an Antarctica snowstorm. I didn't find it very much colder than a cold winter day in Niigata. Well, perhaps the "wind" was stronger.
Some decided to have breakfast or early lunch at this fast food restaurant before starting the march.
It was a very hot day. This drink stalls in particular were very popular.
Needless to say, the current government was against the rally. Police personnel were everywhere and most of the roads leading into the city were closed. The area around Dataran Merdeka was barricaded with razor wire. Nevertheless most of us found our way into the city.
There was a carnival-like atmosphere as everyone was cheering and chanting. Some even brought along their families. Soon the area was a sea of yellow as an estimated 300,000 people converged in the streets surrounding the square.
They were joined by a group of anti-Lynas protesters. This group wants the government to reject the establishment of a ore-refinery plant that could emit harmful radiation.
A group of young lawyers from the Bar Council were ready to provide legal advice .... in case anyone was arrested by the police.
Soon after 2pm, my husband and I and most of the other participants started our journey back. Unfortunately the assembly turned ugly when a number of young protesters decided to break through the barricades. The police did not hesitate to fire tear gas and water cannons at the protesters and several people were hurt in the clash.
