Extended Family Vacations: 2011 -2012 - Epic Destinations

Red Rock Country
Tom, Brian, Karen, Andrea, Mary,
Annie, Dustin, Becca

BWCA
Mary, Annie, Andrea, Karen, Dustin

New Zealand
Tom, Annie, Dustin, 
Becca, Andrea, Karen, Brian

 

In 2011, we  visited our favorite destinations - Red Rock Country and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, and wound up the year visiting New Zealand during the Christmas and New Years holidays. 

March, 2011 - Canyonlands and Arches National Parks

In March 2011, we all met at the Denver airport - Mary and Tom, Andrea, Brian, Karen and Becca, Dustin and Annie. We rented two cars to drive to Moab, where we stayed at two cabins in the mountains for a week. 

2011 Andrea and Brian relax in our Mountain cabin near Moab, Utah

Chesler Park Hike, Canyonlands National Park

The highlight of the trip was an overnight trek to Chesler Park in Canyonlands National Park, where we were able to get a camping permit for six people. Brian and Mary accompanied the group for about a mile before heading back to the cabins. In 1978, Tom and Mary had taken 8 year-old Karen and 5 year-old Dustin on this trip, so they figured Becca and Karen should have no trouble with it. See Growing Up Backpacking.

Mary, Brian, Tom, Becca, Andrea & Karen
in a narrow spot on the trail to Chesler Park

2011 Tom, Andrea, Karen, Becca,  
& Annie climb a path to Chesler Park

Dustin was trying to imagine why we took such young children to Chesler Park, but then we were passed by a troupe of eager middle schoolers out for a day hike. Somehow the trail did not seem so formidable after that.

2011 Children on a day hike race past Karen, Andrea, Becca, Brian & Mary

2011 Tom, Becca, Andrea, Karen, and Annie resting on the way to Chesler Park

2011 Chesler Park

2011 Karen looks out toward Chesler Park

2011 Campsite at Chesler Park.

2011 Annie Climbing on a hike
near Chesler park.

2011 Annie, Andrea, & Becca,
heading back from Chesler Park.

Andrea, Karen and Becca head back from Chesler Park.

2011 Dustin and Annie stopped to see Durid Arch on the way back from Chesler Park.

Canyonlands Island in the Sky District

We spent a day exploring the Island in the Sky district of Canyonlands.

2011 Dustin Photographing from the Island in the Sky District of Canyonlands NP/

2011 Mesa Arch, Island in the Sky, Canyonlands National Park
Tom, Dustin, Annie, Brian, Andrea, Becca, Karen, and Mary

2011 Dustin photographing Annie, Island in the Sky, Canyonlands National Park

Arches National Park

We spent three days exploring Arches National Park.

2011 Becca, Karen, and Brian hiking in Arches National Park

2011 Karen taking a photograph, Arches NP

2011 Andrea & Brian at Balanced Rock
Annie Photographing Karen & Becca

2011 Annie in Double O Arch. Arches National Park

2011 Becca in Turret Arch, Arches National Park

2011 Arches National Park

2011 Delicate Arch, Arches National Park

2011 Sunset from Devil's Garden, Arches National Park.

While we were in Moab, Karen got in some climbing.

2011 Karen climbing in Moab

2011 Karen climbing in Moab

July 2011 - Fourtown Lake, Boundary Waters Canoe Area

In July of 2011, we took four canoes to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area - Tom and Mary, Dustin and Annie, Andy and Becca, Karen and her friend Amy. We camped on Fourtown Lake and took a day trip to Basswood Falls. See Boundary Waters Canoe Area.

2011 Our route from the Mudro entry point to Fourtown Lake, and a day trip to Basswood Falls

December 2011 - January 2012 - New Zealand

In 2011, we flew to Milwaukee to spend Thanksgiving with Tom's parents, then flew to Australia for a couple of weeks of work in Australia and New Zealand. We invited the family to join us for their Christmas and New Year's vacations. 

December 18

Southern Rātā - a tree that blooms
in New Zealand at Christmas

“At airport… The journey begins!” It was Dustin’s last cheerful e-mail for quite a while.  We received the note at 9:15 Sunday morning as we left for the Wellington airport.  It would take us an hour to fly to Christchurch.  It would take Dustin and Annie a lot longer to fly there from Austin, Texas.  In fact, we’d get an entire day of work in on Monday before they were to arrive at midnight. 

Problems started a few hours later at LAX, where the travelers discovered that they had brought the wrong passport for Annie, and she could not continue the trip until she had the right one. The airline offered her the next available seat to Queenstown – two days later. A LA-based friend meet the two for dinner, and offered Annie a place to stay for a night or two.

December 19

Kea - Found only in the Mountains of the South Island

The real problem was getting the right passport to Annie. Internet research by all of us uncovered Southwest’s NFG (Next Flight Guaranteed) air cargo. By now it was late Saturday night in Austin, but Southwest said it would get a small package from Austin to LA by noon on Sunday, as long as the package got to the cargo desk by 6am.  A friend (who was also their pet sitter) retrieved the missing passport and got it the Southwest cargo desk as it opened at 5:30 am.  By noon Annie was back at LAX with a proper passport, looking for a flight to Queenstown that night. Air New Zealand had one seat available which would get her there quickly and at a reasonable fare. Annie sorted out the ticket refund while protecting her return ticket, and one day later than planned, Annie was on her way to New Zealand.

December 20

A few hours after Annie took off from LAX, Dustin arrived in Christchurch. It was midnight, and Annie was going to arrive in Queenstown at noon – a 7 hour drive from Christchurch. So after a few hours’ sleep we set out on a beautiful day through magical scenery; the two photographers showed amazing restraint as we hurried to Queenstown. Annie knew we would not get there in time to meet her plane and we knew she would be very tired.  We arrived at the airport at 2:30 in the afternoon, and YES!  There she was! 

2011 Dustin at Lake Pukaki on the way to Queenstown

Dustin & Annie meet

The two very tired travelers had yet another 2 hour drive to Te Anau, where they picked up their permit for hiking the Milford Track the next morning - just before the wilderness center closed for the day.  Dustin did a round of grocery shopping to stock up for the four day trek while Annie took the opportunity to lie flat for the first time in a long time. 

December 21

The next morning, greatly refreshed from their first full night’s sleep in a few days, Annie and Dustin got on a boat and headed the Milford Track. Since the first day was a short and easy hike, they had a bit of time to recover from their eventful and exhausting trip. They spent four exceedingly beautiful days hiking to Milford Sound, enjoying rare dry weather and a crystal clear day as they hiked over the pass. 

2011 Annie & Dustin on a boat to the start of the Milford Track.

December 22-23

Dustin and Annie continued on their Milford Track trek, enjoying unusual sunshine and clear skies.

2011 Annie approaching the Mackinnon Memorial. Day 3 on the Milford Track.

2011 Dustin and Annie at the top of Mackinnon Pass on the Milford Track.

Meanwhile, back in Te Anau, Tom and I spent three days at a motel with a beautiful view of Lake Te Anau and free high speed internet access.  We caught up on all the loose ends of our business trip and got ready for our family holiday in New Zealand. 

December 24

2011 Annie and Dustin at the end of the Milford Track.

On Christmas Eve we checked in with the Gilberts – Andrea and Brian along with their daughters Karen and Becca. It was still December 23^rd in Chicago, and they had good weather so their flight to LAX left on time. At that point we headed to Milford Sound to meet Dustin and Annie, stopping multiple times along the way for pictures. 

2011 Eglinton Valley on the drive to Milford Sound

We were able to check into our Chalet in Milford Sound a bit early, so we could use the 100 MB of internet access that came with the room to call the travelers at LAX. They had checked into their flight without incident and were headed to a Christmas Eve dinner at the Encounter restaurant in the arch towering over the airport.  Of course, it wasn’t Christmas Even in LA, but the Gilbert family would pass over the date line and December 23 would turn into December 25 as they slept in the air, so it was Christmas Eve for them! 

2011 Milford Sound

Meanwhile, Dustin and Annie arrived by boat from their trip – they were tired but very pleased with the trek. Our chalet was a good place for the four of us to gather and eat, while the hotel kitchen provided a stove to bake a ham and the burners and cooking utensils for a nice Christmas dinner and breakfast the next day.

2011 Annie and Dustin arrive at Milford Sound by boat

This was lucky, because in New Zealand, nothing is open in Christmas Day.  Well, an occasional gas station might be open, and restaurants might be open for a noon meal.  But there certainly would be no grocery shopping on Christmas day, so what could we feed the weary travelers after we picked them up at Queenstown airport? This dilemma led me to call ahead a few days earlier to a restaurant in Glenorchy, the small town beyond Queenstown where we had rented a house for three days.  Could you possibly feed 8 hungry travelers the evening of Christmas Day? Eight? That sounded like enough for them to extend their hours a bit, and we promised to head directly from the airport to their restaurant so they wouldn’t have to stay open too late.

December 25

On Christmas Day we headed back to Queenstown, stopping in Te Anau at the one gas station on our route that was open on Christmas afternoon. We had lunch on the beach of Lake Te Anau, apparently a New Zealand tradition. We got to the Queenstown airport just in time to see the plane carrying the Gilberts come in for a landing. But it was an hour before they appeared through the customs door, minus Becca’s suitcase, which Virgin Australia had left behind at LAX.

2011 Brian, Andrea, Karen and Becca arrive at the Queenstown Airport.

We headed through Queenstown and on to Glenorchy along Lake Wakatipu, a longer drive than I had anticipated, but we arrived at the restaurant in time to find a table for eight set up awaiting us. Christmas dinner was a great celebration, although Becca was a bit concerned about spending another day or two in her airplane clothes.

2011 The road from Queenstown to Glenorchy runs along the beautiful Lake Wakatipu. 

Next we headed for the house we had rented, and what a pleasant surprise! An absolutely wonderful house awaited us: it had a huge great room with floor to ceiling glass windows on two sides, looking out toward stunning mountain views; vaulted beam ceilings; huge kitchen with two sinks and all the equipment one could possibly need for cooking; four nice bedrooms including one with a private bathroom. The sun sets late in New Zealand around Christmas - it didn't get dark until 10 pm in Glenorchy. But everyone was tired so bedtime came before sunset.

December 26

We all awoke surprised, really, to find our family together in Southern New Zealand for Christmas.  This was Boxing day, and for us that meant that the clothes we needed to buy for Becca were on sale.  At least her suitcase had been found, but it was going to arrive in Queenstown two days after she did.  We also stocked up on groceries, and while we were exploring Glenorchy, we signed Andrea and Becca up for a jet boat/canoe trip the next day.  Karen was already scheduled for rock climbing and Brian would go with her. Annie and Dustin had reservations to start out on the Routeburn Track.

2011 Mary, Andrea, Karen, Becca, and Dustin at our beautiful house in Glenorchy, New Zealand.

December 27

Tom and I drove Dustin and Annie to the trailhead and walked a while with them on the Routeburn Track. Then we drove to Paradise and marveled at the massive dust storm being kicked up by a strong wind from the Tasman Sea to the west. Nearby, Andy and Becca were struggling to get their inflatable canoe down the Dart River. Becca took a serious plunge into the water, and eventually the guide had four canoes connect together into a single raft.  With Andy using her strong paddling skills and the guide giving the other participants instructions in German, they found their way down the river to Paradise where they were picked up by their bus and taken back to Glenorchy. 

In Queenstown, Karen was having a good climb, although they had left their cameras behind. Then she and Brian stopped at the airport and retrieved Becca’s suitcase. 

2011 Dustin and Annie with Tom and Mary at the beginning of the Routeburn Track.

2011 Andrea on the Dart River Trip

2011 Becca on the Dart River Trip

After a great barbeque, Tom, Mary. Brian and Karen took a lovely walk around a picturesque lagoon west of Glenorchy where they saw black swans (a common sight in Australia and New Zealand).  When we got back to the house, Andy and Becca were fast asleep, exhausted from their adventure on the Dart River.

2011 Karen and Brian at the Glenorchy Lagoon

Black Swan at at the Glenorchy Lagoon

December 28

The next day we moved to a cottage in Te Anau where we would be picking up Dustin and Annie the next day. (A 20 mile hike over the mountains was a 250 mile drive for a car.) The weather was cloudy and threatening - in fact, on the Routeburn Track it was rainy as Dustin and Annie climbed up Conical Hill to what was supposed to be a stunning view. It was here that Dustin had planned to propose to Annie - not realizing they would have the worst weather of the entire trip at the top. Dustin started a video on a tripod and proposed. The wind blew the camera down, but Annie said YES! 

December 29

Tom picked up the newly engaged couple at noon and stopped in town to check email (there was no internet at the cottage). It was December 28 in Milwaukee and Tom learned that his mother had taken a turn for the worse that day. Tom passed on the news about Dustin's engagement and heard that his father was pleased.

2011 Dustin and Annie point to the spot on the Routeburn Track where they were engaged.

After Dustin and Annie checked into their cottage we had a picnic where they announced their engagement to the rest of the family. Then Annie joined Karen and Becca jumping on the cottage trampoline - but after a high jump, Annie broke through the trampoline net. (She was not hurt.)

December 30

We took a tour that started with a boat trip on Lake Manapouri to the end of the West Arm. Here the Manapouri Hydro Power Station produces 14% of New Zealand's power with turbines driven by water dropping almost 600 feet to the sea level of Doubtful Sound. After a tour of the power station, we took a boat trip on Doubtful Sound to the ocean, enjoying clear skies and beautiful scenery.

2011 Karen, Annie, Becca and Dustin enjoy a boat trip across Lake Manapouri 

2011 Tom and Mary with Doubtful Sound in the background, New Zealand

2011 Turbines in the Manapouri Hydro Power Station between Manapouri Lake and Doubtful Sound

2011 The west end of Doubtful Sound at the Tasman Sea 

December 31

New Year's Eve started out with the very sad news that Tom's mother stopped breathing early in the morning on December 30 (Milwaukee tome). Since it was not practical or useful to consider an immediate return to the US, we continued our trip, driving east across the southern tip of New Zealand to Purakaunui Falls and the nearby Greenwood Farmstay. There we were able to visit the seashore where everyone had a chance to see penguins - for the first time in many cases.

2011 Brian, Karen, Andrea and Becca at Purakaunui Falls in southern New Zealand

2011 Penguin at the Greenwood Farmstay Beach

2011 Penguin Chick

2011 Penguins at the Greenwood Farmstay Beach, New Zealand

January 1, 2012

We drove north past Lake Hawea  and the Cameron Flats to the Haast Coast, where Andrea found an open jewelry store and helped Dustin get a ring for Annie. We stopped at Lake Matheson at sunset to catch views of Mount Cook, then spent two nights at a hotel near Franz Joseph Glacier. 

2011 Mount Cook, west coast of New Zealand

January 2

We spent the day exploring Franz Joseph Glacier, where Karen, Becca and Annie found some good rocks to climb.

2011 Karen and Becca near Franz Joseph Glacier

2011 Karen and Becca resting from their climb.

January 3

We drove north along the west coast of New Zealand to the Pancake Rocks and Blowholes, where the sunny weather and interesting scenery provided plenty of photo opportunities. 

2011 Pancake Rocks and Blowholes, west coast of New Zealand

Then we went to Underworld Adventures for an underground float trip followed by tubing down rapids. We spent the night at nearby Cape Foulwind. 

2011 Becca enjoying rapids on Underground Adventures float trip, west coast, New Zealand

January 4

Dustin and Annie play Frisbee on the Cape Foulwind Beach, west coast New Zealand 

After enjoying the beach at Cape Foulwind, we drove to Abel Tasmin National Park, where we met Henrik and Sophia Kniberg and their four children. They were visiting New Zealand on a Round-the-World trip, and we managed to synchronize our schedules for a day. 

January 5

We took a sunny boat ride and hike with the Knibergs and almost missed the boat ride back. Meanwhile Dustin and Annie had a wonderful time on a tour that included kayaking and photography..

2011 Cormorants preening along the shore at  Abel Tasmin National Park, New Zealand

2011 A lazy seal along the shore of  Abel Tasmin National Park, New Zealand

January 6

Today a long drive took us to Christchurch, where we spent the night before everyone had a morning flight home. Christchurch was still experiencing aftershocks from the earthquake that had devastated the city almost a year earlier. Three days after we left for Queenstown there had been significant aftershocks in Christchurch and a minor aftershock occurred while we were in the hotel. 

January 7

Air travel was normal despite the aftershocks and all parties made it back to the US as planned, gaining an extra day as they traveled over the dateline. There was just enough time for everyone to travel to Milwaukee for Ruth Poppendieck's funeral.