Twenty-nine years ago, we honeymooned in New Zealand and Australia. What a great trip to the most beautiful place I have ever been and what a great beginning to what has been and continues to be a beautiful marriage. Smootch!
My bride and our camper van
We started first in New Zealand where we traveled the island in a campervan so small that at night you had to sit up in order to roll over in bed. In a land where there are literally millions of sheep, we walked in to this cute little wool shop and quite smartly asked the two women behind the counter what was the difference between lamb and sheep. As you might imagine, we left with very little self-respect. Ah well, to be in love, it didn’t matter.
Lotta sheep
New Zealand is truly stunning, with such a diverse environment, from desert, to tropical rainforest, to fiords, to hundreds of waterfalls, to snow capped mountains, to glaciers – all within this small island; it truly defies explanation or pictures. Because New Zealand is on the other side of the earth and equator, April is actually their fall season so you will see fall colors even though it is April.
Tropical rain forest
Waterfalls galore
By the way, these pictures are not great; they are all either taken from slides or photos of pictures, so the quality is not good. None-the-less, you will get the idea.
This speed boat took us up Class 2 and 3 rapids at what seemed like 100 mph and would then aim straight at the rock walls of the canyon and miss by literally inches. Yikes.
One of several glaciers in New Zealand
Fall colors – in April
Most of the coastline has virtually no buildup – nice!
View out our bedroom window; after arriving at this hotel in the dark and rain; needed a break from the camper van to dry out, and here was our view upon awaking – wow!
Milford Sound
From New Zealand we flew to Australia where we were able to explore Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne – and spent time as honeymooners at a place called Heron Island, off the coast of Brisbane and smack in the middle of the Great Barrier Reef.
I’ll call this Kuala Bear “Randy” for obvious reasons
On a dinner train in Melbourne
Excuse me, but aren’t these shark infested waters?
I tried to make time with this little chicky, but she would have nothing to do with me.
Sydney Harbor
Heron Island is so small (it is primarily a research island) that there are literally no vehicles, other than the small tractor that pulls a luggage trailer up to the resort where we stayed.
View of Heron Island – really small, and really nice!
Taking a walk around the island
Daily guests at our little cabin
We also visited Sydney and Melbourne, and yet we barely touched Australia!
Truly this was a trip of a lifetime!