When Don and I realized how soon our time in New Zealand was coming to an end, we decided to make a list of things we wanted to do before we left the country. There were top sights that friends and acquaintances had suggested we mustn’t miss, and experiences that we thought we might never have another chance to take advantage of. So off we headed to the South Island which is much less populated and somewhat wilder than the North Island and contained at least two of the items on our list: Mt. Cook and Penguins.

Mount Cook is New Zealand’s highest mountain at 12,319 ft. and sits among several nearly as high peaks in the Southern Alps. It’s in the middle of the South Island about 4 hours inland from Christchurch, where we were scheduled (or "SHeduled" if you’re a Kiwi) to give a presentation to Quakers at their annual Summer Gathering. While SG was very fun and inspirational, especially if you’re a former Girl Scout like myself with a soft spot in her heart for late-night sing-alongs, Don DID have to share a bunk house with 4 other women, two of whom snored…… and NOT in rhythm. Needless to say, by the end of our 3 days there, we were ready for a little more privacy, and a little less queuing for meals.
Luckily we had booked ourselves into a lovely bed and breakfast called Rivendell owned by a woman who manages and maintains the home and large gardens by herself, and has for 17 years. She’s also a part-time librarian and avid tramper. We shared the house and the breakfast table each morning with other travelers. My personal favorite was the couple from Australia who told us about the introduction of poisonous frogs into their country for the purpose of

eating sugar cane pests. Unfortunately the frogs never took a liking to the pests but found plenty of other delicacies to enjoy. So much so that they have thrived very well, thank you, and now prowl the land of northern Australia in great numbers, working their way down south, terrorizing dogs and young children who go walking in the garden at night. Or so the story goes.

Our first full day there we drove the couple of hours over to Mt. Cook along a most beautiful winding road with the Southern Alps framing the wide open swath of golden grasslands and lupine. When we started out in the morning, the tops of the snow-capped mountains were covered with a white mist which slowly disappeared as the air warmed and the sun became brighter overhead. We passed two large turquoise lakes and moved along a canal used as part of the hydroelectric scheme which provides electricity to that area. Although it is the height of tourist season here, the roads were very quiet, even as we approached Mt. Cook Village which clings to the base of this well-known natural wonder. There are many trails to walk, but we chose Hooker Valley which winds through the open land beneath the mountain. It really was a lovely walk, across a swinging bridge, along a roaring mountain stream, up to some amazing overlooks, all the while surrounded by the mountains and the fresh, clear New Zealand air—air like I’ve never breathed before. It was a wonderful choice and a great way to really "be" in the mountains.

On our second day we drove quite a long way down to a city called Oamaru which sits on the east coast. We went there because we wanted to see the penguins. Oamaru actually has two penguin colonies—one for the little Blue Penguins, and another for the Yellow-eyed Penguins or the Hoiho. We decided to opt for the Hoihos and, around 5 PM, we headed out to the reserve where there is a trail and a hide for good watching. Apparently penguins are very shy so it is important to stay at a distance and to be quiet while waiting for them to make their appearance. The chicks hatched about 6 weeks ago so both parents go out looking for food in the sea each day to feed their young and, in the evening, they return to their nests in the bush alongside the beach. While waiting for the first penguin to appear, we noticed what we thought was a large log on the beach, until it raised its flipper and we realized it was a big lazy fur seal sunning itself in the sand. After scanning the beach over and over, and lying in wait quietly, finally the first yellow-eyed made its appearance, slowly waddling across the beach into the bush. Not long after, another appeared, though this one was kind enough to stand in the sun for quite a long while, giving us time to really have a good look at it. Unfortunately the penguins are quite small and since we were at a distance from them, they were hard to see very well. Things improved enormously when we met up with a volunteer from the park service who loaned us a pair of binoculars and helped us to find two close-by penguins hiding in a nearby clump of flax. We watched them for a long while and were really able to see their markings and behavior up close. It is a thrill to see animals in their natural world, just going about their business as if no one else is around. They are so vulnerable and free, without cages or human interference. (These penguin pictures are from the Web. Unfortunately we weren't close enough to get these great shots.) http://www.kcc.org.nz/birds/hoiho.asp

On our last day in the area, we decided to stay local and so we drove to the nearest of those turquoise lakes, Lake Tekapo, where we made a quick stop at a small stone church which, unfortunately, was overrun by tourists swarming through the grounds and the building snapping quick photos before heading off again on their 70 passenger tour buses. We gave each other a knowing look, certain that we had a solution which would get rid of almost every one of those pesky tourists. We headed for Mt. John and started the steep 3382 ft. ascent up the side of the mountain. Sure enough within 10 minutes we had the beautiful larch forest almost all to ourselves. It took about an hour of sweaty, hard walking, but the fabulous view on top made it all worth while. Oh yes, that and the café. Did we ever mention that New Zealanders go to any length (or height) for a good cup of coffee??!!