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Published: June 17th 2007
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We arrived into Picton to glorious sunshine - yeyyy!! It was a brilliant journey through the Cook Strait past lots of great land formations and amazing greenery on such steep sided cliffs - wow!!
We decided to do a little trip along the coast since we didnt have time to go across to Abel Tasman or Nelson (boo) so we did a coastal drive to havelock which was beautiful but rather windy.... our main aims were to see some Rutherford enrollment for Darren....and also to get some infamous green lipped mussels, which were lovely but I have to say the choc peanuts we purchased afterwards were even better!!
Then we headed down the east coast, past lots of wineries and beautiful coastline to Kaikoura to do a spot of whale watching, but not before a fair few pints and a random pub quiz...woke up witha sore head to go whale watching but it was the perfect remedy and was amazing...we amanged to see four Sperm Whales, an Albatross and a group of Dusky Dolphins during some kind of mating ritual (they mate 365 days a year, several times a day and with several partners.....0- they were amazing as
they were so playful and jumped out of teh wayer soo many times, dived so close to the boat and were generally really entertaining for us and came iwthin arms reach!!! The Sperm whales were massive and floated around in the water clearing their lungs (spuirting water) before diving with their massive tails back down 3000m to feed again in the depths of the canyon under water- WOWWW!!!
Then we headed over Arthurs Pass to the West Coast, on which we stayed for a night half way across so we could travel all of it in daylight as it is sucha beautiful crossing through the Southern Alps!! We stayed in a really remote place again, by a lake which was amazing but really really cold!!! We even maneged to get up and go on a mega long run in the morning but my fingers took about 20mins before I got some feeling in them!!! we have a new strategy for heat on cold mornings- turn all the rings of the gas hob on and hope for the best!! we got some more great piccys at this place - mountains, lakes, mist, snow - amazing!!
We went to Arthurs
Pass Village to do another hike up to Otira Ridge, but didnt quite manage to full hike as it was getting close to sunset due to us getting a little lost in the little village for a while, some paranoia about a boy and his father thinking they were going to steal from vinny...but it was a great hike in the snow and ice into the lower mountains!
We got down to Hokitika just in time for sunset which was the most amazing one I think I have seen, it was a clear cut bright orange sun against the water - amazing and so clear!!! after the sun had gone down the water turned a magnificent aqua colour!! We stayed at an amazing campsite - Beachside- where we recieved a complimentary spa pool session which was perfect for our tired running legs and great with our sophisticated box of wine!!! then we went out dressed for a ski session (so cold) for an Indian - first one since left England - what a treat too!! On teh way, we stopped by to check out the local glow worms too.
We went for a run along the beach in
Hokitika which was one of the nicest beaches I have been on, it had sucha secluded feel about it and was civered in so many amazing driftwoods, but it was a really hard run!!!! we had brekky on the beach and then rocked on to do a tour of teh area, which was to see Lake Kaniere, got slightly lost but found a beautiful idyllic place - Hokitika Gorge Swingbridge - the most amazingly aqua coloured water you have ever seen before!! Then we found Lake Kaniere which was really pretty but had rather a weird eerie feel that I didnt like, the original plan was to watch the sunset but I didnt fancy it, walking through the eerie forest in the dark!!
we acrried on down the coast and stayed in another remote spot before hitting Fox Glacier - a beautiful white glacier wedged in between some mountains, which has receded quite some distance over the decades!! we took a tramp around lake Matheson to view the magnificent Mt Cook and Tasman - I think we got a pretty perfect day for the views and reflections off the lake - another wow and nicely finished off with a
pint!!
To be Continued.........
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