We drove for five hours to get from Franz Joseph to Queenstown. Even in the rain, this part of New Zealand is spectacular.

We checked into our hotel, a charming recreation of  what was long ago a dairy market.

We started the following day in Arrowtown, a historic gold mining town on the banks of the Arrow River.

This was the scene that greeted us.

We had coffee at Dudley’s Cottage, one  of many restored and repurposed buildings in town.

We strolled, shopped and had lunch before heading back to the car.

Passing the lake we spotted this guy

these three (a deer, a pig and a sheep)

and a llama.

In the afternoon we took what is reputed to be one of the most beautiful drives in New Zealand, the waterfront road to Glenarchy.

Stopping for a walk on the shore

Approaching Glenarchy

When we got to Glenarchy we walked down to the dock and arrived just in time to see a wedding photographer throw a handful of birdseed, prompting a flurry of activity around the bride and groom.

After another coffee in another scenic cafe we headed back to Queenstown.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A birthday visit to the Glow worm Caves 😊

Big plans today!

We rose on November 9th 🎂 eager to depart for Te Anau and our tour of the Glow Worm cave. FYI,  “Glow worm” is a bit of a marketing ploy; they are not actually worms, but the larvae of a certain type of fly. But doesn’t “glow worm” sound so much more fun?

The cave system in Te Anau is one of several in New Zealand that are home to these tiny bioluminescent larvae. To see them, you make your way through the dark and twisting cave, past gushing water that eventually flows into an underground river.

No photography allowed in the cave, so I’m relying on web images.

You  board a small boat, and continue deeper into the cave until all at once you’re surrounded by what seem like constellations of tiny blue stars.

It was unlike anything on earth, and I could have stayed for a long time in this underground galaxy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~