January 4, 2025 - Wanaka, South Island, New Zealand 

Today was a more leisurely day, but we still packed in a good workout, then made our way to the Blue Pools. Imagine pristine water the color of a gorgeous aqua marine stone. It was well worth a short ~1 mile hike to see it up close.




                                                  

The forest has a dense and lush canopy and is filled with singing birds, ferns, moss, foxglove in purple and white, and trees not only reaching skyward, but in strange shapes and angles. Many look like they have bent with time, but were not quite ready to decay, they just kept growing.
 

The above tree looked like an open hand.




In this last photo, there is a flat disc-like formation on the trunk of the tree. It’s called a Southern Bracket (laymen:  “Platform Mushroom”), and is a polypore. They are quite amazing! To see some really incredible mushrooms, take a look at this site!


We made our way to Haast along the coast of the Tasman Sea, also termed the South Pacific Ocean.  We stopped for a late lunch and shared a table with a rather vocal Silver Gull (we learned early on you cannot call a gull a Sea Gull around an ornithologist.  They will rip you one as there are more than 50 species of gull found worldwide.).  Not sure the video will come through, but one highly territorial Silver Gull kept “its” table of food for himself, and yet, never touched a morsel on the table.   He just didn’t want the other gull to have it.  :-)



Other photos from our drive:







We have seen intermittent reddish-orange rocks that are incredibly bright.  The color is quite amazing when scattered among much of the gray granite.  We will confirm when on the ship, but believe it is a lichen called an Orange Sunburst.  Mel caught Jody being a scientist! 




Mel, however, had the highlight for the day.  Did you know the early Greeks and Romans had underground plumbing.  They placed “toilets” over a running stream of water to carry their sewage away.  These “facilities” were communal with men often reading and/or socializing.  Mel happened to find one of these facilities today. 


 You never know what you might find….so keep your eyes open!

 Tomorrow, another hike, then wine tasting!

 Love to all!  Jody and Mel

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