Our friends Karl and Chris came to visit from Minnesota. Great excuse to get out and about on the South Island.

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We started with a brief jaunt to Lochmara Lodge in the Queen Charlotte Sound. A brilliant and relaxing place, as Chris and Tana demonstrate.

Next on to Golden Bay: beautiful beaches, Pupu Springs, the Mussell Inn, and Farewell Spit.

A highlight of the journey was a visit to the White Heron Sanctuary near Whataroa. After a white-knuckle (for some) jetboat ride and a short walk, we were treated to a great view of the entire breeding population of these magnificent birds.

Farther south on the west coast, we got up close and personal with the Franz Joseph Glacier. We tried to visit the Fox Glacier as well but the road had been taken out by floodwaters the previous week.

Across the Southern Alps, some by train and some by car, with an overnight stop in Arthur's Pass where the scenery was very nice and the parrots were naughty. Sure it's fun when they are eating someone else's car!

This is Cape Farewell, the northernmost point on the South Island. Like many places in New Zealand, it was named by Captain James Cook. It was the point of departure for his first visit to New Zealand.

On to the beautiful West Coast. The iconic Pancake Rocks at Punikaiki did not disappoint, although the seas were calm and the blowholes were not terribly active. We cared not.

Finally, to cap things off, a day out on Banks Peninsula. As you can see the scenery just never quits, and the weather was absolutely perfect!