After spending one day in Queenstown we rode north, through the rainforest, out to the West Coast. It is an amazing, exhilarating ride through genuine "Lord of the Rings" scenery.

The wild West Coast of the South Island is famous for its unspoiled beauty. We spent a night at Punakaiki, in a hotel right on the beach, and had a look at the rugged Pancake Rocks at high tide - the best time to view the spectacular blowholes.

On the next day we left the West Coast behind and rode towards Nelson, where the group split up to spend the night in B&Bs. Sounds strange, but everybody loved the experience of getting to know "real" New Zealanders. Not to mention the outstanding meals that were dished up by the hosts!

Today we took the ferry and cruised to the North Island, where Wellington, the country's capital city, welcomed us with a clear blue sky and balmy temperatures.

Our ferry. It takes us from Picton to Wellington