New Zealand in a nut shell

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This is almost our last day in New Zealand so time to update you on what we have done in 4140kms in Gramps our Nissan Sunny hire car, and Tallulah the tent!

We flew into Christchurch (South Island) and decided to rent a car, buy a tent and off we went. We drove south to the Banks Peninsula to the town of Akaroa. Here we went to the beach and saw fur seals coming out of the sea and sleeping on the beach. They were huge and not at all bothered that we had suddenly turned Japanese with the amount of photos we took! At dusk we went to another beach/cliff area and saw little blue penguins waddling out of the sea back to their burrows. They were everywhere, under cars, running through ppls legs as they crossed the car park.

Drove down the east coast to Oamaru, where their is a yellow eyed penguin colony and we watched them on the cliff face and more seals. Kept going south to Dunnedin and out to the Otago peninsula where again at dusk the blue penguins came up the beach surrounded by seals. Here we also saw Albatros flying overhead. So our east coast would have made David Attenbrough proud!

Then inland to Arrowtown where we tried out luck panning for gold....clearly our pan was broken didnt get anything bigger than a pin head.
In to Queenstown, where Russ threw himself of a bridge...., all in the name of bungy. He jumped 43m at the worlds first bungy site. We also did jet boating which was really good fun. Nothing like doing 360 degree spins in water 2 inches deep just after breakfast. Then onwards and upwards to Fox Glacier and Franz Josef glacier. Had amazing views of the Fox, and we decided to go on a tour onto the surface of Franz Josef. We walked up to the start of it, strapped on our crampons and followed Pearl our guide with the pickaxe who kept swinging it around wildly, apparently digging steps for us. Walk was already dug out and we followed the path up from the base to end up standing on the top surface. Walked through crevices and cracks and big piles of slushy ice to get there. Was a really warm day and it was nice that the ice was so cold!

After this we drove through Arthurs Pass the first path to cross the Southern Alps (now a main road). Back in to Christchurch where the weather was much better so we spent the morning doing the equivilant of Go Ape. Swinging through the trees on flying foxes far to high in the trees, and climbing through barrels suspended in the air, was fun, but hard work! Next was a relaxing trip to Hammer Springs where their are hot pools, where we spent the afternoon relaxing in the warm...some far too hot, springs.

Next was whale watching in Kaikoura, Russ went as Carina has seen them before and he saw Sperm Whales, or at least a tail of a few. We also went sea fishing which was great. In this tiny boat with 3 others, first we stopped to pull in a pot full of crayfish and then we sped seawards over huge waves. Stopped to release our rods and instantly pulled up these orange fish. Skipper filleted them for us while we just kept pulling them up. Was great fun for 10 mins, until our arms started to ache and we all went green. We then decided enough was enough and thankfully we zoomed back to shore. We were given a bag of filleted fish and a crayfish each. Our problem was that we had to leave that day and had no idea what to do with these 2 crayfish that were slowly crawling out of their plastic bag in the footwell of the pasenger seat. After deciding that they would not fit in our aquired saucepan, so couldnt cook them, Russ tried to sell them. Noone was interested so last option was to release them. Easy we thought, put them on the beach and they will walk in. They just washed up the beach with the tide.....not working. Next plan throw them. Carina went first, slippery little buggers fell out of her hand and luckily landed just over the surf, in the process cutting 3 fingers. Russ went next and the same thing happened. Thats the thanks u get for saving their lives!!!

Onwards to Blenheim, Nelson and finally Picton where we got the ferry to the North Island. Left on a beautiful day, arrived in Wellington and that evening the wind and rain arrived and the tent was nearly flattened in the gusting winds. We survived the night and next day went to Ta Papa museum and cable car up to the botanical gardens. Next day Russ went to the Scout HQ and got yet more badges, CD's, baseball hat, leaflets etc
Left and drove up the west coast to Wanganui, booked in to a cheap campsite and discovered it was Wellington Socuts campsite! Wanganui is one of only 2 places in the world that has a lift built in to a mountain to get you to the top. Great views at the top, and fun to travel in the 100 yr old lift that rattled us all the way to the top.
Next was Turungi, and Taupo, saw NZ biggest lake, (the size of Singapore,) and a waterfall. Went to Craters of the Moon, a big field where the earth is steaming and mud bubbles. It was amazing, kept expecting dinosours to walk out as it was like a scene from Jurassic Park. Rotorua was next, its true the whole town smells of rotting eggs as its build right on a fault line. We went to 2 Mauri villages, and learnt about their culture and how the live on top of the hot pools. They use the steam to slowly cook their food, boiling water for washing up and bathing and heating their houses!

Drove accross to Waitomo caves to the 2 caves which were full of gloworms. We turned of all the lights and there were so many of them that they lit up the whole cave!!!! Beautiful. A long drive to Hahei on the Coromandel Penisula, this is the town next to Hot Beach. 2 hours before and after high tide you can dig a hole in the sand and sit in it and it fills up with hot water, heated from the geothermal stuff happening underneath. Some of it was so hot that it was buring our feet as we tried them out. Was quite a sight seeing a small area of beach dug up in to pool and ppl just sitting, relaxing in the sandy water! Then we made our way to Auckland.

We have been up Mt Edna which is an old volcano where u can walk around the crater. We gave the car back and have been in a hostel in the center of town. Quite nice after spending 3 weeks sleeping on the floor! Russ has finally had another hair cut and we have taken it easy walking around the city center and fish market.

Of to the airport tomorrow and onwards to Argentina, should be fun as of course we are both fully fluent in Spanish.....well at least were good at pointing now😉

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