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Published: February 19th 2007
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Ian taking over blogging for a bit…
We stopped for fish and chips in Akaroa where we had Hoki (a fish that is a bit like cod only smaller). We had to buy the vinegar separately which we put down to cultural differences - a bit like those in Germany where they look at you like you’ve gone mad when you ask to have your fish without remoulade sauce but with essig instead - and that is at the place that advertises “English Fish & Chips”! After the meal, I promptly fell asleep overlooking the bay as I had been up all night, so I can confidently say that Akaroa is a very relaxing town.
Once we got back to Christchurch, we had planned to have a quick sandwich back at the B&B and then pack and go to bed. Instead, we spent the evening talking with the other guests and drinking wine - we met some new people - Akiko and Asako, two middle aged ladies from Japan, and Tony and Sylvia from England who’s luggage had been mislaid by Quantas on their flight from Singapore. Much later than planned, we eventually called it a night.
We
were dropped off at the office of freedomcampers by Lawson the next morning where we waited, with some trepidation, to be introduced to our new home for the next 5 weeks. I say we were anxious because we had used this firm without any prior knowledge as they were about 50% of the price of the major companies. It turns out that this particular firm take the vans that are over 3 years old from Tui and then hire them out to the more “budget conscious” traveler. Our van still has Tui markings on it and is perfectly fine except for being a little on the scruffy side inside, but what do you expect for such a good deal?! The diesel engine sounds like a JCB digging a trench, and it handles like a boat, but it is our home for the next 6 weeks and I am developing a bond with it. It is a very small 4 berth - no longer than a 2 berth, but with space above the driver’s seats where the 2nd couple would normally sleep. I cannot imagine it with 4 people in it would be uncomfortably cramped, but with 2 it is cosy.
We took possession of it and spent an hour at the office sorting it out after a very lackadaisical introduction to it by the kiwi girl who gave us the tour. Every time I asked her about a button or a key she hadn’t mentioned, she would think for a little while, realise that she didn’t know and then say “don’t worry about it”. Rach thought she was OK. We kind-of got ourselves sorted and then went shopping for some provisions which took longer than expected. Eventually we were underway to Lake Tekapo! The map the agency had given us was falling apart and about 10 years old. We passed through a town called Rollarton that Rach could not see on her map at which point I got a new one! Using the new map, we could see that we had taken a wrong turn somehow, so we had to take a back-road to the road we wanted to be on. Got lost briefly once more passing through a town called Geraldine (“Stop and take a look around, she’s a bute!”) but we realised pretty quickly that we were headed in the wrong direction and were able to take
Lake Takepo from on high
Apparently, it"s pronounced Take a poo. remedial action. I reckon that the locals had removed all the signs to try to get you to pass through their town more than once.
The lake is supposed to be one of the bluest lakes in NZ, but we couldn’t really see what all the fuss was about. The campsite was clean and peaceful and is in an area that the locals are trying to get designated as a Unesco dark sky area so that the can be assured of always being able to observe the stars without too much light pollution. Obviously, our campervan was parked next to the arc light from the toilet block, so we didn’t really get to appreciate the spectacle on offer. Anyway, we set up our shop and then went into the village for a quick look around and a drink and then called it a night after a cheese and wine fest back in the van.
The next morning dawned hot and blue and we were up with the larks and raring to go and do a bit of walking. We ended up climbing up Mt. St. John to the observatory that is stationed there and having a drink in
Lake Pukaki (I think)
with Mt. Cook in the background the observatory café. On the way back down, we finally understood what all the fuss was about with the blueness of Lake Tekapo - it’s weird - I mean, really really blue, but you have to be above it to appreciate it. It made the climb very worth while. We de-scaled the mountain and spent the afternoon catching up on admin tasks such as washing and blogging and then, after an omelette, retired to bed.
The next day dawned even hotter than the previous, and we set off to Mt. Cook / Aoraki. It is a fantastically impressive place where the views take your breath away. What particularly impressed me was the fact that the mountains seem to sprout from the plain with none of that mucking about with foot hills. We parked up at a DOC campsite (which is virtually freedom camping) and then set off to find the hardest walk that was available (as Rachael had offered to take the back pack). It must have been 35 degrees - way too hot for a climb, so of course, we climbed. I think if the climb had been even 1 meter higher than it ended up being, Rachael
The view from Red Tarns
Down to the town of Aoraki in the background. would have downed tools and refused to go any further. I was extremely happy that she had taken the pack! I think we drank something like 6 litres of water between us. The evening was spent at a café / Restaurant that we had discovered on our way out to the climb where I discovered a beer from NZ that I actually like. So far, the beers have left a lot to be desired here, they all taste like the fizzy crap we used to get in England in the 70’s like “McKewans Export” or “Watney’s Pale Ale”. The one I found bearable was a malt beer called “Dark”, so I had a lot of it. There were no lights in our campsite that evening, so we sat out with some wine and watched the stars come out - gosh what a lot of them there were by the time we retired. Quickly to sleep, and then awake at 2 as the fridge decided it would like to audition as the next drummer for Def Leppard. The noise went on until about 6 in the morning, when, as inexplicably as it had stared, it stopped. Rachael, of course, slept through the entire thing and could not understand why I was still tired at 10am.
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Ian n Rach
Ian and Rachael
S60 and Heroes
No thanks Rob, we'll possess ourselves with patience until we return!