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Having spent a couple of really good nights out in Wellington, it was off for the South Island. We were all up early to meet our new bus and new driver, called Lamb (not really sure why, but hey!)
We got on the ferry across the Cook Strait which was really nice, we even had a pack/school/a load, of dolphins follow us for a bit which was awesome! I did however sleep most of the way as I was so tired! (this travelling lark is not as easy as one thinks!!)
So onto the South Island, we arrived into Picton and headed towards our first stop of Nelson, a very small town next to the Abel Tasman National Park. I really wanted to stay there for a day or so as it looked so beautiful, but unfortunately the bus behind us was full so I would have had to stay for 4 days, and didn't really have time. It was also good to stick with the same group of people as we have since got really close and have had many a good night out!!
The next few days were spent driving down the West Coast, which has
been voted one of the top 10 drives in the World, and it is so easy to see why! At first I thought spending an English summer in a place where it is winter was a silly idea, but it has made the drive down so stunning! There are snow capped mountains everywhere and the coast is so pretty.
We stopped at lots of nice little towns along the way to Queenstown (our final destination) and did a LOT of walks, all of which were really good (and hopefully means i am that little bit fitter than I was before I left home!) Our main walk was the one I was looking forward to the most at a place called Franz Josef, up a Glacier. Awesome.
Franz Josef was one of our last main stops in South Island, and it was so worth the wait!! It is basically a glacier in the middle of a rainforest. A very surreal thing to see, even stranger to climb! It took 2 hours just to reach the base of the glacier before we started our proper climb, fully equipped with crampons and everything!! I felt like a proper explorer!! (but no
Lyns, I will not be joining you for a Polar Challenge...this nearly killed me fitness wise!) When we got to the 'top', as far as we could go that day, our guide went off exploring what features were about that day (it changes every day as the Glacier is moving over 4m a day at the top!). We climbed through many crevices, ice blow hole type things, you know the standard ice features you get in Glaciers! It really was such a good day, although my legs were paying the price for about a week after! It was tough!
We then moved onto a place called Wanaka, a popular ski resort here and probably my favourite town in NZ, it was beautiful. We got there at around 4pm, and once we had got checked in, Claire, Briony, Gemma and I headed down to the lake to watch the sunset, which was unreal! snow capped mountains behind a lake, what better a setting can you get!!?
So now I am in Queenstown, our final stop before I fly from Christchurch in a few days, and the end of my trip in New Zealand. Can not believe how fast it
has gone!! Although I am still very busy doing as much as I can afford (time and money wise!). Our driver had recommended what they call over here a Canyon Swing. To be honest is does exactly what it says on the tin. You swing. Over a Canyon. 160m. I was more nervous doing this than I was jumping out of a plane!! There are many options you can go for, like just taking a running jump, letting them ease you over the edge and them letting you go whenever you want, many many choices. My first jump was known as the 'pin drop', where I basically stood on the edge and jumped to the side, hurtling to the ground rather quickly. held on by a bungy chord. Good times! It was so scary, but once I had actually jumped (it took me about 10 minutes to actually do it!) it was the best feeling! So of course, I had to do it again! This time I was sat on a chair, with a seatbelt over my legs, where I leaned back as if I were just sitting at my desk leaning back, but this time there was a giant
canyon behind me!! It was amazing! just freefalling attached to a chair! Possibly the most random thing I will do while I am away, and it was just so good!
I spent the day yesterday being a bit more cultural, and went to a place called Milford Sound, a Fiord on the other side of the Southern Alps. I had heard from lots of people that Milford was a must see here, and it really was! The drive down was long but stunning, and once we arrived we got onto a ferry where we had lunch, and which took us across the Sound. Although the weather was fairly rubbish (although it did snow, so I got quite excited!) we still had good visibility which was the most important thing as the views were so impressive!
So I am now just chilling out as much as I can in Queenstown for a few days, updating my journal, doing some washing and generally organising myself again! I have really loved it here, and will be sad to leave, but I am also so looking forward to a bit of sun again!! And it is coming to the end of my
time on my own, as I will be meeting up with Claire in a few days, which is SO exciting!!
Again, I hope everyone is well.
Thanks for stopping by. xxx
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