Day 3: Christchurch-Hanmer Springs The gondola ride was well worth it, after we waited till early afternoon for the weather to clear. Both of us went up; half of us was very determined to overcome a very well-entrenched 30-odd-year fear of heights. The first gondola ride included heart thumping, and insisting the following conditions were followed: looking upward to the mountains, and insisting no-one move around. That agreed, we both enjoyed a terrific ride - although the line was drawn at leaning over the edge of the lookout, even for the obligatory photo. With the height thing overcome (maybe) we might try something higher? The view of 360 degrees included wispy cloud and fog moving fast over velvety green mountains dotted with hardy sheep, winding river, estuary and Christchurch. The, a drive through picturesque country where ... read more

Seven days to go before takeoff to NZ, and it's a South Island kind of day here. The horses outside are standing, mournful but uncomplaining, in a form of ultrawet drizzle that saturates your windcheater without your being aware that it's happening. We figure we're heading for weather that's just like that, but colder. Seven days would normally mean five more working days, and for me it does. Notionally for Helen, too, but three of them are to be spent by her on a two-day conference (does that compute?) in relatively sunny Maroochydore. It will give her some suitcase practice. Little time left, then, for itinerary planning. It's not like the two-month UK odysseys of our past, where the days stretched out so far that we set out with nothing more than vague intentions. We have ... read more