Winding Down in the Winnebago - NZ Part IV

What we thought would be a rather long drive to Dunedin turned out to be not too bad at all. The kids were great while Brenda and I kept everyone entertained with 'shows' - it is amazing what a couple puppets and a bit of imagination can do on a long road trip. After managing the RV up and over the hilly terrain of Dunedin, we found our Top 10 campsite. The famous Top 10 campsites are common in NZ but this was the first one we would stay in and apparently, the Top 10 logo has to do with being the top price - ouch! We settled in for the night and got to the bbq before the crowds showed up and feasted on steaks, sausages, potatoes, coleslaw and corn on the cob.

The next morning, we visited Cadbury World, where all that good NZ chocolate is made. We came away with a sample bag that included some interesting Cadbury bars that we had never heard of (perhaps, the sample bags were to get rid of some of the slow movers? Anyone familiar with the Perkinana??) but we were able to purchase some of our favourites at the shop for a fraction of the price they are sold elsewhere. We stocked up on chocolate (a good substitute for our dwindling wine supply), hit a great coffee shop down a backstreet and then headed north for Christchurch.

We arrived in Christchurch and found a centrally located RV spot from where we could check out the Cathedral and have a terrific Chinese dinner out. The next morning, we did a bit more sightseeing before heading to our hotel. After a bit of shopping and saying our goodbyes to the RV, we returned to the hotel. Our hotel was next to the airport and the International Antarctic Centre. With a couple spare hours before dinner, Caleb, Kevin and I decided to check out the Antarctic Centre while Kevin, Brenda and Adelina went to the pool. The International Antarctic Centre was very impressive. We are slightly embarrassed to say that Caleb's first experience with snow (although not the real thing I guess) was here. We put on winter coats and went into the Antarctic room. We passed on the -40 degree Antarctic storm experience, having already experienced enough -40 weather in our lifetime (Caleb will eventually have his turn, I am sure). We saw some penguins and I even got to take a ride in the Hagglund - a rather impressive machine!

NZ was the most relaxing vacation I can remember in recent history. I am not sure if it was the fresh air, easy travel in the RV, or great sleeps. Whatever it was, it made for a terrific and relaxing holiday. Thanks for organizing the RV, Kevin and Brenda. We had a great time experiencing NZ with you guys!

Caleb's first taste of white chocolate was the free sample he was given at Cadbury World.

At the International Antarctic Centre - Caleb in a winter coat and shorts!?! -8 degrees Celsius was ok but I have to say that I still do not miss the cold Canadian weather.

The Big Jump -NZ Part III

Since arriving in Queenstown, there has been one adventure after another. Queenstown is lovely – a beautiful little tourist town on a huge lake surrounded by mountains (a common description of NZ towns we are discovering). Our first evening in Queenstown, we walked along the waterfront where Caleb could not get enough of all the ducks. The next day we headed to the Kiwi and Bird Park for the bird show. We even caught the kiwi feeding which was great since it was an opportunity to see New Zealand’s famous little nocturnal bird. We grabbed a quick FergBurger (delicious) for lunch. We had booked a flight and cruise trip that afternoon to Milford Sound for the next day but when we did our weather check, we discovered it would be a no go for that day. While the weather was hot and sunny in Queenstown, it apparently was not so pleasant in Milford Sound. So we postponed until the following day and headed for the gondola and luge track. At the top of the gondola, we stopped for a beer with a view. We sat 300 meters above Queenstown enjoying our drinks in between chasing Caleb around. We had each purchased two luge rides so the Kevins and Adelina went first while Brenda, Caleb and I found a good viewing spot to take photos of them coming down. After my turn, I decided that Caleb would enjoy it too so I took him on my second ride. He did not make a sound so I am not sure if he liked it or was terrified! While I was waiting for Kevin’s final luge run on the advanced track, I started talking with a guy who just did the bungy jump. He raved about it and while I had been previously considering it, I was now game. Brenda said she would do it if I did – so we did! 400 m above Queenstown we did AJ Hackett’s Ledge Jump. Queenstown is home of the original bungy jump so there was really no better spot to do it. After five thrilling hours at the top of the gondola, we headed down for dinner and an evening walk along the waterfront… still on a high after our big jumps!

First thing the following morning, we did our weather check for our Milford flight and the weather was still poor resulting in all flights being cancelled that day. Instead of waiting another day and not liking the idea of taking the kids on a 15 hour day trip via bus to Milford, we planned to depart Queenstown that afternoon and head to Te Anau. From Te Anau, we could see Doubtful Sound (a shorter day trip and less tourists than Milford). Brenda and I took the children shopping (which Caleb happily napped through) while the guys went on the Shotover Jet. We all met at the Pub on the Wharf to watch a bit of the Olympics, the Canada-USA hockey game. We departed for Te Anau and found a great campground that was much quieter than the packed Queenstown location we had come from. Te Anau, situated on a lake, is yet another lovely Kiwi town. There were a few accommodations/hotels, one grocery store, a couple souvenir shops and the ‘Mainly Seafood’ street food. The next day, we had our trip to Doubtful Sound. It was terrific, although a long day. The cruise through the fjords was peaceful especially considering our boat was the only one out on the water (with the exception of the overnight cruise boat that we passed by once). Caleb and Adelina were thrilled to discover a toy box on board. After our three hour cruise, we headed back over the Wilcott Pass to the Manipouri Lake. By the time we got to the bus after the one hour lake cruise, we were hungry. We got dropped off at the campsite, grabbed the strollers and headed for ‘Mainly Seafood’.

Only three nights left in New Zealand so we are making our way back to Christchurch with a one night stop in Dunedin.

Taking the gondola up for a view of Queenstown.

Up the chair lift...

and down the luge track!

Instructions: smile at the camera, step back and run!

Hanging out 400 m over Queenstown.

Cheering on the Canadian Olympians and making a fashion statement all at the same time!

Everyone enjoyed the Doubtful Sound Cruise... a boat with a toy box!

On beautiful Doubtful Sound.

The West Coast - NZ Part II

Traveling south from Kaiteriteri, we joined the scenic Highway 6 along the West Coast. It was a long driving day but we made it to Punakaiki where we spent a rather rainy night. In the morning, we braved the rain and walked out to see the Punakaiki ‘pancake’ rocks – limestone formations that have eroded into what looks like stacks of pancakes. We were soaked by the time we returned to the RV. We continued on to Hokitika where we had lunch and checked out a glass blowing factory, jade shop, and sock museum (yes, for real?!). We stocked up on groceries and continued driving south to Franz Josef Glacier. The glacier was lovely and it made me miss Canada. So much of New Zealand reminds me of Canada (but packed into a much smaller area). We hiked along the terminal moraine until the clouds came in and the rain started again. We continued on for another 25 km and camped at Fox Glacier Village. The Fox Glacier campsite was luxurious. The kids had a nice bath and we even got some laundry done. To Adelina and Caleb’s enjoyment, the playground was top notch and even included a trampoline. We checked out the Fox Glacier in the morning, hiking until we could go no further. Caleb fell asleep in the backpack carrier on our return (good news for longer hikes that we have planned next month). We hit the road towards the small town of Haast where we stopped for a snack (the best carrot cake ever) and then went over the Haast pass and along Wanaka Lake (a stunning drive) until arriving at the lovely little town of Wanaka. Wanaka was a pleasant surprise – a pleasant town with lots of green space in the middle of mountains, located on a lake. Caleb took about six steps on his own as well. He has been walking (while holding one hand) much more and has started braving a few steps on his own. The only disappointment at Wanaka was the Wanaka Lakeview Holiday Park, which apparently had not been renovated since the 70s. In fact, the playground (if you could call it that) looked more dangerous than fun. It was definitely not as impressive as our previous night’s accommodation. After overnighting in Wanaka, we were back in the RV - destined for a lunch stop at Arrowtown before getting in to Queenstown, NZ’s adventure capital.

Sunset on the West Coast of New Zealand.

Either the hike was too long or Fox Glacier (in the background) was not exciting enough for little Caleb?

BBQ at Wanaka.

Celebrating Tet in New Zealand

Happy Tet!

Along with the Brenda, Kevin and Adelina, we departed for New Zealand for our Tet holiday. We arrived in Christchurch, New Zealand on Friday after a long but rather uneventful flight. We had the bulkhead seats and a bassinet for Caleb. Luckily, the Singapore Airlines bassinets are of the large size so Caleb still fit in (tightly). He was terrific though and slept for the entire flight. We arrived in Christchurch at 10:00 am and after a bit of a wait at customs while our tent was checked for any foreign soil, we made it out to call the RV company and catch our pickup. Our Winnabago was waiting for us. While the boys did all the paper work and watched the video, Brenda and I packed up the RV. By around 12:30 pm we were on the road; boys in the front and the girls and two carseats in the back. We made a lunch stop at Subway and then hit the grocery store before heading north to a campsite at Leithfield Beach. We got in about 5:00 pm and had times for a walk along the beach, showers and roast chicken, salads and delicious bread before crashing. The jetlag (NZ is six hours ahead of VN) got to Caleb so we spent a bit of time around 2:00 am reading some books. We were up in the top of the RV, separated by a curtain, so were able to have a headlamp on and not disturb everyone else.

At Leithfield Beach, East Coast of the South Island, New Zealand.

The next day we head north in the direction of Blenheim, stopping in Kaikoura for lunch and a walk along the ocean to the seal colony. We had terrific lunch on the edge of town – fish of the day, green mussels, seafood chowder. The walk along the ocean cliffs from the seal colony was beautiful (although windy) and it was great to see Caleb loving the backpack carrier.

Hiking at the windy Kaikoura peninsula.

Caleb loved the backpack carrier.

At the seal colony in Kaikoura.

We continued driving north eventually found a campsite at Spring Creek, which was conveniently located right in the middle of the Marlbourgh wine district. We spent Sunday touring wineries. First we stopped at Cloudy Bay and then Allen Scott (a favourite Sauvignon Blanc of ours). After a quick lunch, we stopped at Saint Clair on our way back into Blenheim. Apparently, I had a few too many tasters since I left Caleb’s stroller at Saint Clair’s vineyard. The good news was that I remembered to take out Caleb and the bottles of wine that I was carrying in it… the other good news was that it was still there when we went to pick it up!

After the second day in a row of sleeping in to 9:30am (amazing!), we continued north to the town of Nelson. Nelson was a pleasant surprise – a touristy yet laidback town full of cafes and shops. Our day there went by much too fast. We were able to book a day trip into Abel Tasman National Park though so headed to bed after an amazing bbq feast of Aussie steaks, potatoes and corn in preparation to awake early to get out to Kaiteriteri to catch our boat into Abel Tasman.

Waking up earlier (8:30am) was harder than we thought. You knew one hour made such a difference! We were able to get out on the road with time to stop at a McCafe and still park the RV before catching our boat destined for Tonga Gorge. We departed at Tonga and started our 5 km trek through the fern forest. The trail poked out along the way at various coastal spots with picture perfect beaches. The hike reminded us so much of the West Coast Trail and we could imagine a few days of this. Not this time though – our boat picked us up and we were back in time for dinner around 7:00pm (and a few rides on the Kaiteriteri Campsite’s Flying Fox).

It is 9:00 am now and my boys are still sleeping so best I get this posted, jump in the shower and get ready before breakfast time. A long road trip towards the West Coast awaits us today.

The Year of the Tiger

The Tet decorations are out in preparation for New Year celebrations which begin next week. We spent the morning showing Shirley around District 1. Caleb must have woken up too early because within about a half hour, he was hunched over and fast asleep.

On Dong Khoi

Kevin, Shirley and Uncle Ho

A coffee stop at Highlands at Saigon Centre where we introduced Shirley to cafe sua da (iced Vietnamese coffee). Caleb woke up for snacktime, of course!

Welcome Gramma Shirley

After touring Thailand for the past month, Gramma Shirley has arrived in HCMC. We gave her a full welcome by taking her to a neighbourhood Tet (Vietnamese New Year) party. It is wonderful getting to catch up with Shirley and having Caleb get the opportunity to spend time with his Gramma.

All dressed up in a traditional Vietnamese ao dai and enjoying chocolate chip cookies at the Tet Party with Gramma Shirley.

Practicing walking - Caleb is not quite there yet, but definitely getting closer to walking on his own. He actually took a few steps on his own earlier this week.

Adventures of Erin & Cam

It was so much fun to reconnect and spend time with Erin and Cam in Vietnam and Cambodia. We were thrilled to be one of their stops on their year long adventure around the world. Perhaps, our paths will cross again in a few weeks if the stars align and we are in Central Vietnam at the same time. We have already booked our flights and accommodation in the hopes that it works out! Enjoy the rest of your time in Cambodia, Thailand, Northern Vietnam and Laos. We will be following your blog!

Isabel y Carlos

Tabitha Cambodia

Janne Riske, a Canadian and now Cambodian citizen, started the Tabitha organization to help the poorest of the poor in Cambodia. Tabitha Cambodia trains and hires women who produce amazing bedding, bags, ornaments and numerous other items made from Cambodian silk. These products are all available in the Tabitha shop in Phnom Penh. Tabitha also organizes house builds, where volunteers can raise money and offer their time to build houses in a local community in need. Thanks to Erin and Cam, I heard about their housebuild in Cambodia and they kindly invited me to join. I had always wanted to do something like this and getting to do it with friends seemed like the perfect opportunity. Kevin happily took over as Mr. Mom for a couple days this week and I stayed on in Cambodia.

After an early breakfast at the Kirirom Hillside Resort, we got into the vans and headed further southwest on Highway 4 in the direction of Sinoukville to the area of Koh Kong. We pulled off the highway and entered a small village where we were welcomed by about 50 villagers as we got out of the van. I am sure that these people had been awaiting our arrival since sunrise. On the first day we built 10 houses - they are simple structures on stilts. The floors are wooden and the walls made of corrugated tin. Our job was to nail in the floorboards and the tin walls. Although a little sore from our first day of house building, we completed the final six houses before lunch on the second day. There was a short, but emotional, ceremony where we each presented one of the families with their new home and new quilt. It was an incredible experience and this blog post really does not do it justice. I was so impressed with the Tabitha organization. I am looking forward to another housebuild in the near future. If anyone else is interested, check out the Tabitha website for more information.

Cam putting up the walls.

Erin putting nails in the floorboards.

With Erin & Cam at the end of our second day of housebuilding - sweaty, sore but still smiling.

Presenting one of the families with their new house and quilt.

Our building team and all the people that will move into these 16 small homes.

All moved in.