Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Day 7 - Queenstown女皇镇 (Vine yard tour, Mountain tracking)

女皇镇这地方可挺受游客青睐,这里山明水秀,却不失热闹。女皇镇位于纽西兰南岛,属于南岛第二大城镇。游客通常都不会错过这里,尤其是年轻游客。 女皇镇著名在她老少咸宜,年轻人有年轻人的玩意儿, 其中最广为人知的苯猪跳;年长者却是喜欢这里宜人的景色和她那出众的热闹。

在女皇镇的第1天早上,在旅馆吃过了自制的简单早餐,悠悠闲闲的去街上逛逛。走在建筑风情不错的商店街,不时会被阵阵咖啡飘香刺激味觉。这个时候哪里可以少得了我们家的贪吃猪呢???? 叹咖啡时间。。。
在街上晃了一个早上,很清闲很舒服,工作上的压力和烦恼早已抛开了。。

下午决定参加当地的酿酒厂半日游,行程包括参观3间酿酒厂,cheese厂,还有包括午餐在内。 来到第一间酿酒厂,负责人给了我们一人一杯自家的ice wine,接着领我们到地下室去品尝不同的酒。 一边听她介绍她家的葡萄酒还有教导如何品尝,一边wine testing。我们俩蒙蒙懂懂的,对酒没有什么研究,有酒倒来就咕噜一声地喝下去。 反而老外却只喝了一小口,就把其余的倒掉,好像很浪费。原来他们真的是品酒专家啦,品尝味道而已,不像我们三八那样的酒倒过来就喝完。。。。

酒厂外有间附着的餐厅,一旁种了一大排的薰衣草。这一片紫色浪漫加上有放松作用的薰衣草味道,此刻真幸福, 不必到法国南部也可以享受。 薰衣草在大马很难种,原因是它的种子需要经过严冷的寒冬,到了夏天才会开花。要经历过严寒,才能活出自己的春天。。。

隔壁就是葡萄园。。。。我生平第一次看到的葡萄园

一串串的葡萄在等着被挤。。。。压做成葡萄酒。





风景无限好,只是太阳猛,比大马还要猛。 据说纽国人得皮肤病的比率蛮高的,原因于人为的污染,负责过滤紫外线保护地球的臭氧层越来越薄,又刚好在地球的南部穿了个洞,所以纽国人被紫外线的攻击蛮严重的说。怕晒爱美的我,在这里每天出门前都涂好太阳油,不然我脸上的雀斑就会发展得很快吧。

下午1点到另一间酒厂+ cheese factory - - - Gibston Valley 参观和享用午餐。司机趁在路途中机每人派一张餐单让我们选择自己喜欢的餐点。我俩选了两人套餐,司机说这套餐分量很大,我们俩个可能吃不完。 我们却想:怎么可能?太小看我们了啦。

两人套餐包括:南瓜派,各类腌菜, 新鲜葡萄,腌橄榄,蘑菇沙拉,各类cheese, 番茄干等。。。 当然还有各类自制面包配纽西兰牛油和白酒。mama mia 实在太好吃了,但是hor......我们真的太高估我们自己了。两个大胃王竟然败给了这盘东西!!


吃饱饱就要运动运动一下了。 酒厂负责人带我们到一个储酒洞穴去看看。一进门,一阵阴风迎面而来。。。。。。。里面暗暗的,排满一桶一桶的东西,阴阴湿湿,只留几盏小灯引路。

据了解,葡萄酒在发酵过程时,温度的拿捏很重要,必须要在稳定的温度下葡萄酒才能顺利发酵。再来就是光线的掌控,不能让酒桶暴露在光线之下,所以把它储存在地下室或洞穴是最好的选择。这个储酒窑(应该是山洞)是厂家特别挖开来储存酒的。一个一个圆鼓鼓的木桶装着在发酵中的葡萄酒在等待从见天日。 每个木桶都贴上标签记录着酿酒的时间和厂家名字,眼明的我发现深处几个木桶标签上写着法文,问一问负责人,原来他们的木桶大多数是在法国运进来的。据了解,当葡萄酒发酵成功后,每一桶将会分成几个级别以制成各类级的酒。一桶就有几个level, 哪个level是哪种酒我没听进去,也许是喝醉了吧。

这是位于酒厂隔壁的cheese factory。 说是cheese factory, 倒不如说它是买cheese的商店比较恰当。在里面看不到所谓的cheese制作过程,有点失望和遗憾。失望的是这里看到的只是影片,还有试吃不同种类级别的cheese而已。遗憾的是因为上次在瑞士的cheese factory 也是抱着想亲眼目睹cheese的制作,结果工厂内只放着一个模拟cheese制作机器意思意思而已。这次希望可以真正的看到制作,哪知又是一场欢喜一场空啊。
吃饱喝醉了,又是byebye 的时候了。

下午回到旅馆休息,在打算着等下的节目。正巧我们住的旅馆靠近女皇山,是每个旅人来到女皇镇必到的山,既然是非去不可,我们就不妨去见识见识下她的魅力。整装待发中。。。。

这是我们住的旅馆,Queenstown Holiday Park 。 房间干净整齐,配有厨房和客厅和浴室,还有一间3人房,类似appartment。 最重要的是它价钱公道。想来纽西兰游玩的朋友们不妨选择住Holiday Park, 好像是连锁旅馆那样,散布在不同的地点, 舒服又不太贵。

这是房间的外观,一栋分成两层,4个单位。我们住在底楼的单位。

下午5点,换好运动装(没错,我们是要去爬山),刚出房门,就看到有人在玩paragliding。 因该是在女皇山顶出发的吧。



从holiday park 步行早女皇山山脚下只需要5分钟。来到山脚下,就是cable car 的出发地点,徒步爬山的进口就在旁边。

开始爬山了。。。。前面一段山路很徒,我们手扶着树,吃力地向上爬。踏着前人走过的脚印,20 分钟,30分钟过去了,累得我们目目相交却无话好说。 途中遇到下山的路人,问起他们还有多久的距离才到山顶,他们的回答却让我们心想:oh my God!!! 这时的我简直是想放弃了。。。。

好不容易,来到山腰,透过树林,看到超美的风景,因该是快到了吧。。

终于,经过了2小时的埋怨,呕气,和疲惫,终于。。。。。
山顶的景色美到无话可说的地步
对岸的山脉
不知道是不是因为自己历经辛苦才爬到山顶,眼前的景色简直是美得不在话下。我们非常珍惜辛苦爬上来看到的景色,或许若是我们做缆车上山,没有努力过,眼前的景色就只不过是如此而已,就不会珍惜吧。

真的叹为观止。
湖上女皇镇所独有的蒸气油轮--- TSS earnslaw
冬天时用来载滑雪客上山的缆车
山顶有酒店,餐厅,纪念品商店,还有毛利族表演。
合照一下下,到此一游。 8点了,虽然天还没暗,也该是下山找吃的时候了。

丰富的晚餐来做今天的结束。。他太累了吧??
夜晚街景

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Day 6 - Te Anau - Milford Sound - Queenstown

Milford Sound, also known as Piopiotahi in Maori, is located in the south west of New Zealand’s South Island. Although called a sound, it is more accurately classified as a fjord. Milford Sound, the most famous tourist site of New Zealand, has also been called an eighth Wonder of the World by Rudyard Kipling. It is situated within the Fiordland National Park which is in turn part of the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage site.

With a mean annual rainfall of 6813 mm on 182 days a year, a high level even for the West Coast, Milford Sound is known as the wettest place in New Zealand and one of the wettest in the world. Rainfall can reach 250 mm during a span of 24 hours. The rainfall creates dozens of temporary waterfalls (as well as a number of major, more permanent ones) cascading down the cliff faces, some reaching a thousand meters in length. Smaller falls from such heights may never reach the bottom of the sound, drifting away in the wind. (www.milfordsound.net)

Early in the morning, take our own time and drived ourself from Te Anau heading west to Milford Sound, it take 2 hrs. It is advisable to fill up your fuel in Te Anau because there is no petrol station along the journey and in Milford Sounf, and it take 2 hour from Te Anau to Milford Sound. The road to Milford Sound is considered to be one of the world’s finest alpine drives.
Herd moving to another field for brakfast - on the way to Milford Sound

View along the way to Milford Sound

Visitors to Milford normally opt for a cruise of the sounds by launch, and the experience for us is unforgettable. This is a unique opportunity to get close up views of some of the best scenery Fiordland has to offer. Be inspired as mountain peaks soar overhead and waterfalls tumble hundreds of metres into the sea below. Often, dolphins accompany the cruise up the sound and seals are a common sight as they bask on rocks.

The cruise parking at Milford Sound Jetty


The sky was dark, it's raining all year long
On the cruise to discover the 8 Wonder of the WorldAmazing Milford Sound!




Seals on the rocks (too small to see)
Falls are everywhere

The West Coast of the South Island and the Fiordland area has sandflies that will “eat you alive”. These New Zealand tiny sandflies are not generally lethal but they are very annoying. To avoid from these annoying insect, spray the New Zealand made sandflies repellent is the best choice.
The cruise sail to the Tasman sea, it was very stong wave and the cruise was shaking seriously.

After 2.5 hour Natural Cruise journey, we departed from Milford Sound and head-back to Te Anau for lunch and then drive ourself to another destination- Queenstown.

Stopover at one of the creek for a fresh water face wash.
2 Hours drive from Te Anau. Arrived Queenstown in the Evening

Queenstown's compact downtown area, a cosmopolitan hub that's relaxed during the day and fun at nigh, with a little shopping on the side.
Church, Lavender along the walking path
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