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Jervois Steakhouse
From Lake Tekapo, Mt cook region is just 1.5 hours drive away. The weather was perfect and the sun was bright when we arrive at mt cook at 10am. We booked a 2.5 tour to see the Tasman Glacier that departs from Mt Cook Hermitage hotel. Total travel time from the hotel to the Tasman Glacier is only 15min away, however to get to the speedboat, you will have to walk about 20-30min 1 way. We were lucky that the sky was almost cloudless and we could catch an unblock view of the magnificent Mt Cook. The Tasman Glacier is the largest glacier in New Zealand. Due to global warming, however the ice begins to break away from the main glacier every few weeks. Broken icebergs will then be floating around the lake and you can get up close to touch it from the speedboat. Ice that was recently broken from the main giant glacier would glow a blue shade before turning white after a few days. Due to the air pockets in the broken icebergs, you can easily break off some ice and even chew on the ice like the local guide did. Departure Time(s) 8am, 9.30am, 11am, 12.30pm, 2pm, 3.30pm and 5pm Cost $145NZD To book your tour, you can go to the website below: http://www.glentanner.co.nz/mt-cook-activities/glacier-by-boat/
3.5 hours from Christchurch City will take you to the beautiful Lake Tekapo. Ever since I could remember, this is the place that I longed to visit. And finally being here, looking at the majestic mountains surrounding the lake, was just surreal. The sun was high and bright when we arrived at Lake Tekapo and the water was so blue. Every snap from the camera was like a picture from a postcard.
Orana Wildlife Park is open daily from 10.00am until 5.00pm McLeans Island Rd Christchurch, New Zealand Phone: 03 359 7109 Adult Entrance Fee NZD29.50 http://www.oranawildlifepark.co.nz/ What I love about visiting wildlife parks in AUS or NZ is the extra encounters you get to have with the animals! We get to get close up to the giraffes to feed them and less than 1meter away from the Rinos. For an additional fee of NZD40, you can have a lion encounter, or even choose to feed a lemur etc. Check out the video below of the lion encounter. Give yourself about 4-5 hours at the wildlife park to view all the animals and prepare to do some walking. It was only a pity it started raining while we were there and we have to leave early. So if you have some time to spare and want to get close to the animals, don't forget to visit Orana Wildlife park :)
Pegasus Bay Winery Stockgrove Rd, Waipara RD 2 Amberley 7482 North Canterbury New Zealand Contact 03 314 6869 https://www.pegasusbay.com/ Fiddlesticks Restaurant & BarCorner of Worcester Boulevard & Montreal Streets, Christchurch Tel: 03 365 0533 http://www.fiddlesticksbar.co.nz/ Best Steak in Christchurch in my opinion! The tenderloin medium rare was booked perfectly with a moist center. The mash potatoes beneath was smooth like velvet and very savory. My husband had the Prime Ribeye, but it was slightly over cooked the first round. We informed the waiter and he quickly took it back to the kitchen and had a fresh one done for us. The second time it was just right medium rare as we like it. Tender and delicious! Pair your steak with a Elephant Hill merlot from the wine list for a satisfying dinner. On top of the succulent beef dish, the friendly waiters were responsive and service was great. We will be back here again for sure should we visit Christchurch again! THE LAST WORD - whisky bar31 New Regent Street, Christchurch Phone: 03 928 2381 Hours: Tues & Weds 4.00pm - 11.00pm; Thurs & Fri 4.00pm - 1.00am; Sat 2.00pm - 1.00am; Sun 2.00pm - 11.00pm
Cafe Valentino
Here you can purchase a colored lanterns to release and it will cost you about TWD150. They are rather large and you get paintbrushes to write or draw on them. It was only a pity it was day time as I believe the lighted lanterns would have been prettier in the evening then the sky was darker. Next stop Jiu fen Old street where you get to eat many local delights and snacks. Basically it was like eating throughout the whole day.. simply unbelievable...The bbq mushrooms were really yummy and you can see the auntie cooking it from the top right picture. Lots of walking up the stairs and down the stairs here around winding pathways. Getting pass the crowd can be quite exhausting. There even is the large red house (tea house) featured in the movie "Spirit away" where you can get some pictures. Last stop was the golden waterfall near the gold ecological park (Jinguashi). There is no gold here for sure but residues of previous mining activities that cause the rocks to glow a golden shade. Below on the left is one example of an abandoned mine. The driver told us that in the past, when the Japanese invaded Taiwan forcing the locals into mining activities to mine out precious metals and gold. They then export the metals and gold back to Japan for making weapons and then sell the weapons back to the Taiwanese army. He sounded pretty angry at the Japanese as he was recounting past events. Well, I guess many older folks in Asia still have vivid memories of the cruel Japanese occupation.
Bottom right photo shows the yin yang sea. The reason for the name is due to the contrasting color of the cove. It was a pity we didn't manage to capture the sunset but watching the waves crashing into the rocks was still a sight to watch. The driver took up high up to the roof an abandon mine and we climb on to thin steel frames left behind for a great view. Very dangerous indeed! If you slipped, you will pummel 10 floors down into part of the collapsed rubble from the building itself. Not for those scared of heights! We end our day trip here and thanked our lovely driver for sharing so much of his stories with us. It was a TWD3500 well spent. XimendingRight in the middle of Ximending is the famous HOT-STAR large fried chicken and there is always a queue for it. The wait is about 10mins on average and taste so good on a windy night. There are so many local snacks and delights to try you will be spoiled for choice. Shopping here is pricier then at Shilin and variety isn't as much. Many shops including food stores also closes earlier than Shilin about 10+-11pm. Shilin night marketThis is my personal favorite place to shop and eat. Shopping starts at 5pm and it opens late (past midnight). Even though the prices are quite low in many shops, you can still bargain down a little if you are buying for than 1 item. Since we look like obvious foreigners, some store owners may raise the price a little. I saved quick a few bucks from bargaining all night :) I bought like probably 6 pairs of shoes in 1 night and each pair was only 10 dollars!? Men's T-shirts, berms, socks are all rather cheap too. You can easily get a nice men's T-shirt for SGD8-10. I did realize one thing, some of the shops nearer the main roads are slightly more expensive than the ones really deep in. So if you have time, you can walk through the market to compare prices. There are usually at least 2-4 stores selling similar clothes,shoes, bags etc. If you are looking for smelly tofu, there is one store near the main road selling. You don't have to look very far, I'm sure the smell itself will tell you where it is... I must say I am not a bad fan of it but my husband was thoroughly enjoying it. Try the Savoury Crepe and deep fried potato loop too if you have the stomach. Too many things to eat in one night in my opinion! Raohe night market (best for local food)The first thing you see when you enter the night market is the large sign board with bright lights. I was craving beef noodles and randomly selected a crowded small food cart to try. A bowl will set you back about SGD3.50 and the beef serving was generous! The noodle was springy and the beef was tender, what more could I ask for! (BTW don't even bother to eat beef noodle at restaurants, its 3-4 times more expensive and the beef wasn't as tender and portions weren't generous)
Fengjia night marketFengjia boost the largest night market in Taiwan. Endless shopping and endless amount of street food!!! We really walked until our legs threaten to give way and our stomachs filled to the brim!
Qing Jing FarmQing Jing farm was up mountain and the weather was cool and breezy. It closes at 5pm and we only arrived at 3pm because we wasted too much time at Sun Moon Lake. This farm is situated at the Renai Township of Nantou County and the temperature is about 20 degrees when we were there in October. This is absolutely a perfect respite from the torturous heat from sun moon lake earlier in the day. Oh the scenery was just wonderful!The air was crisp and fresh and the sky was so blue! This place was only made more perfect by the adorable sheep and horses! Adult ticket is TWD160 for weekdays and TWD200 for weekends.
At the right timing, you even get to see sheep shearing! My favorite place in Taiwan without a doubt. Wished I brought some wine and cheese to have a picnic on the glass plains here! Hualien is truly a beautiful and scenic place to visit. Stepping out of the airport, I am immediately greeted by white fluffy clouds and unbelievable blue skies. Over the distance, you can spot mountains towering from many directions. Below are some the pictures we look of the gorgeous landscape of Hualien. Ching Shui cliffSeven star beachTaroko GorgeBook a driver for about NT3600-3800 per day. Your minsu can arrange this for you at your request. Do note that minsu do not provide towels. We made a mistake by forgetting to bring towels and end up using face towels *Face palm*.
For dinner, visit Nanbin night market. You be prepared to queue for food as there aren't many places to eat in hualien and many tourist will visit this place. There is a nice shave ice store at the back corner of the market so stop by for some dessert! BTW the market is so small, you can walk it all in 3-5minutes. |
AuthorA great love for exploring the world, experiencing new cultures and making memories in new places... Archives
April 2017
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