New Zealand (With Gerry)

In 2008 Gerry escaped from the Quilters World office for a well-earned vacation in New Zealand. Working on the itinerary for the Quilters Tour of New Zealand's beautiful South Island, brought back some wonderful memories of her own tour around the south island in a rented Winnebago. The tour Gerry has organised for March 2010 will be covering much the same ground as her own trip.

So here is a firsthand account (and some wonderful photos!) of her remarkable trip!

Arriving by air into Christchurch we took a trip on the Trans Alpine Railway across to Greymouth and back - this really whetted our appetite for the mountains and lakes which are so much a part of the south island.  The next day we picked up our rental vehicle and headed off to Oamaru (via a little town called Geraldine) along the east coast.  What an interesting place with it's beautiful and ornate old stone buildings all made from the local Oamaru stone, which apparently was very easy to cut and might explain the preponderance of so many imposing pillars and arches!  A town quite unlike any other I've ever visited!!

Passing the Moeraki Boulders to Dunedin, a town with a strong Scottish connection and the most magnificent railway station not to mention the Cadbury chocolate factory where we had some tasty samples, then across to Te Anau and Milford Sound.  If I begin to wax lyrical about these places this article would be too long so suffice to say that everything just takes your breath away - you really need to see for yourself! 

Then to Queenstown with the spectacular backdrop of the Remarkables, a town bustling with life and so much to see and do - I just loved it there.  On to Wanaka, via the quaint little village of Arrowtown and the Kawarua Bridge where we watched the bungee jumpers doing their thing!  Up the east coast we took a helicopter flight over the glaciers and even though the weather was closing in the view was amazing.

Up to Nelson and Picton and of course a visit to the wineries of the Marlborough region the home of some of the best sauvignon blancs around!  Then down the coast to Kaikoura to glimpse the whales and dolphins and see the baby seals frolicking in their 'playpen' - just delightful. 

This has just been a potted history of my tour to give you an idea of the delights that New Zealand has in store for the traveller.  Why not join us on our 2010 Quilters Tour of New Zealand, we will be travelling in style in a luxury coach and staying in excellent accommodation throughout the tour.  We will be visiting all these wonderful places and more, as well as enjoying workshops with our tutor Ruth Bloomfield and get togethers with quilting groups along the way.  And of course not forgetting plenty of retail therapy at the many quilt shops throughout the south island.  Can't wait!!

Comments

[Liza Eastman]

Hi Gerry, my name is Liza Eastman and I am a founder member of the Golden Bay Patch work and Quilters Guild, NZ. We are looking forward to meeting your tour group in March probably in conjunction with the Motueka Quilters as we think the 2 hour drive over the Takaka hill would take up too much of your precious time in our region. In the mean time you might like to look at my website, just Google Liza Eastman Quilts NZ and you will find your way to Virtual Bay (NZ) and photos of my work.LIZA