TRAVEL TALES:Touring beautiful New Zealand

A 16-day tour of New Zealand brought together my husband, Ted, and I, our friends Ray and Jennifer Woolsey of Lake Forest, and Jack and Linda Seelhorst, formerly of Newport Beach who now live in Sisters, Ore.

We flew into Auckland, and our first full day was spent with a Maori guide hiking the hills of Mt. Eden, learning about Maori history and the early days of New Zealand.

We spent the next day on Waiheke Island, one of the many islands off the coast of Auckland, which we reached via the local ferry.

Our excursions also included hiking down the slippery red rocks of Mt. Tarawera Volcano. We explored the natural geysers of Rotorua, and learned about local Maori culture at the Te Puia cultural center.

We visited the Auckland Zoo and learned why kiwis don’t fly, and that the tuatara is a very large reptile that feels spongy when you touch it. The silver fern that you see on most New Zealand logos gets its name because of the silver on its underside, which is very reflective and can be seen from a distance. This could come in handy if you get lost in the forest.

Most of our two-week tour consisted of traversing the South Island of New Zealand. North and South Islands together are about the size of Colorado, with more than 4 million people.

Our New Zealand adventure took in the varied terrain, and we stopped to have high tea with local farmers who run a bed and breakfast and to visit a deer farm. Did you know that New Zealand sells deer embryos to America in order to improve our deer population?

Just outside of Arrowtown, not far from Queenstown, we spent three relaxing days at Millbrook, a lovely golf resort. Ray and Ted managed to get in some golf, while Jack and Linda took off for a day of fly fishing.

Jennifer and I spent the day shopping in Queenstown, and visited a lovely park that overlooks Lake Wakatipu. This region is also known for producing some wonderful wines, and our group sampled their Pinot Noirs at a wine tasting seminar.

The highlight of our trip was a helicopter flight to Franz Josef Glacier, which included landing on the ice with a little “walkabout.�

The following day our group hiked back toward the glacier where we were able to get another perspective on how large it is.

Another group ahead of us had already reached their glacier and was beginning to hike up it. They looked like ants making their way up a mountain of glimmering blue ice.

We also toured the fiord on Doubtful Sound. The day-long trip included taking a long bus ride to the area, then a small boat to the launch site, then a bus to the boat dock, and then we were off on a wonderful adventure that was well worth it.

At one point our boat captain turned off all the engines and asked everyone to stand still and be silent for five minutes. I’ve never experienced such peace. The only sound you heard was the wind blowing, birds in the distance and the water lapping against the shore. Awesome indeed!

On day nine, the temperature had dropped with the onset of a storm, and the rain was just beginning to come down.

Our tour guide, Sharron Hickman, had arranged for us to stop for lunch at a quaint diner in an old hotel. As we entered and looked around, it reminded me of an Irish pub, with the old stone fireplace and the large wooden bar.

Our serendipitous meeting with a woman named Valerie happened just after we boarded our bus and began our journey back toward Greymouth.

The rain was quite heavy by this time, and the wind was blowing strong. The roads are narrow, with only two lanes and no bike path, and it’s dangerous for bikers even in good weather.

Our wonderful tour guide saw this poor soul battling the elements and requested we stop and pick her up. We did, and that was how we met Valerie.

Valerie is a 59-year-old from London who doesn’t fancy herself a cyclist, although she said she does get out for bike rides.

We learned she had recently sold her bed and breakfast in London to a local church, bought a little flat for herself, and while on her way to visit a nephew in Wellington decided to stop in Queensland for some hiking.

The area near Queensland is known for its hiking trails, but Valerie decided to rent a bike, buy a helmet and head off that way for Wellington.

Her only companion, she said, was the Lord, and she prayed and sang songs on her journey. This was her eighth day on the road. When we picked her up, she only had two narrow saddle bags on the bike and no rain gear.

We took her to a place where she could spend the night and possibly catch a train to Wellington.

We marveled at the thought of this woman biking alone across New Zealand, and as Americans we shuddered to think of all the dangers our lonely highways might bring about.

We continued our trip on the west coast of the South Island, stopping in Runanga, a small mining town, and visiting Paparoa National Park.

We returned to Greymouth for the night, and as we walked on the rocky shore of the Tasman Sea, we thought about Valerie and prayed for her safety.

Days later, as we began our ascent through Arthur’s Pass and the Southern Alps, on our way to visit Flock Hill Lodge for lunch and a tour of a sheep farm, we passed a lonely biker inching her way up the 3,020 foot elevation and steep grade.

It was Valerie! Now day 10 for her.

When we arrived at the beautiful lodge and lovely gardens, our tour guide had a wonderful idea and began making a sign for Valerie.

It said, “Go Valerie — from your American friends.�

I suggested we invite her to join us for lunch, and with that, the tour guide added with another sign, “Turn here — join us for lunch.�

The bus driver drove the bus back onto the highway and parked it so Valerie couldn’t miss that sign. She not only saw it, but she joined us for lunch, and we had time to cheer her onward toward her destination.

We continued our journey toward Christchurch, the last stop before most of the group, including the Woolseys and Seelhorsts, departed for home.

Ted and I continued with eight others to Australia to visit the Great Barrier Reef and Sydney before returning home.

By this writing, I had hoped to hear from Valerie so I could add more about her. Sadly, I haven’t heard from her, but I do know she picked up the photos I sent via e-mail.

Hopefully she is well and happy, and better for her adventure. God bless you, Valerie, from your American friends.