1 The 25th is Bill's Birthday, but Francisco got the card!
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3 The Rees Hotel Lobby at night
4 Our room with a terrifc view of the lake and mountains
5 Bill on our porch overlooking the lake and mountains
6 looking out our porch
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8 the view toward the town
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11 We took a Jeep Tour to see some of the Lord of the Rings film locatons
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18 On their journey through Middle Earth, Aragorn, Frodo, and the others paddle past the massive Pillars of the Kings, or Argonath, which loom over the Anduin River.
19 which was filmed at the location behind Bill
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21 This is the first bungee jump bridge
22 The Misty Mountains, from The Lord of the Rings movie
23 The TSS Earnslaw is a 1912 Edwardian vintage twin screw steamer plying the waters of Lake Wakatipu in New Zealand. It is one of the oldest tourist attractions in Central Otago, and the only remaining commercial passenger-carrying coal-fired steamship in the southern hemisphere.
24 Francisco on the bow
25 Francisco inspecting the engine room
26 What am I doing?
27 downtown Queenstown
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29 Bill, waiting for the hotel shuttle
30 The Green, a downtown park. a great place for lunch
31 The Village Green park
32 We paused for lunch and a beer at a restuarant on the Wharf
33 This is our boat to go out into the Doubtful Sound
34 the open sea is ahead
35 food and drink area
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39 whales
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45 seal
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47 penguin on the rocks
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53 Francisco disembarking after our trip
54 Heading out for our Speed Boat river ride
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56 New Zealand Greenstone display at the Dart River Speed Boat ride. Greenstone is the name for the nephrite jade that comes from the South Island of New Zealand. The Maori call it pounamu.
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60 this was a narrow passage that tubers could go through, but not our boat
61 The Wilderness Jet is an exhilarating and spectacular journey deep into the heart of the world-renowned Mt Aspiring National Park.
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66 Our boat
67 Then we took a walk through the forest. In straddling the 'great divide' of the Southern Alps, the Mount Aspiring National Park presents a breath-taking range of landscapes.
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69 We're not sure why this chair was there.
70 The Desolation of Smaug was filmed here
71 Queenstown. The wharf and vendors
72 This vendor was selling items he'd made from railroad ties.
73 pen holders, paper weights, etc. Francisco bought me the one on the right for my Birthday
74 my Birthday Present from Francisco. Made from rail produced in 1888 by the North Eastern Steel Co Ltd, Middleborough, UK. It was part of the track between Alexandra and Clyde.
75 looking toward our hotel from the Wharf area
76 We decided to walk from the Wharf to our hotel. A bit far, but very enjoyable
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82 TSS Earnslaw Steamship was passing by
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85 Bill
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87 continuing up the trail
88 Francisco took a brief swim. It was cold
89 We took Gandola ride from base to go to Bob's peak which is 450 metres above Queenstown and Lake Wakatipu. It is steepest cable car lift in the Southern Hemisphere.
