thehayses

Geo: -37.7772, 145.461Breakfast in the apartment, packed bags, last minute souvenir shopping - then time to head to the airport.Dropped the car off early - luckily because there was a power surge at Auckland airport which knocked out all the IT networks, and broke the baggage system.We queued and waited, then waited and queued - finally got thru security, and passport control etc to reach the gate 5 mins before boarding, although boarding was then delayed by about 30 mins. The teams at Auckland airport did an amazing job, under difficult circumstances.Arrived in Melbourne only 30 mins late, taxi to Jen and Pete's to pickup the car, then dropped Sarah off at her car and headed home.Fish and Chips for dinner, then TV and bed - absolutely knackered.An amazing trip - the South Island of NZ ... read more

Geo: -36.8258, 174.797Ferried over to Devonport and explored the town.Had a yummy lunch - Kate had corn fritters and Derek had beef curry.Back to Auckland for the Santa Parade.Picked up Sarah from the end of her Contiki tour, with two Cornwall friends - Jade and Amy.Back to the apartment for a cuppa and a catchup.Out for really yummy Indian for dinner :-) ... read more

Geo: -43.5316, 172.637Showers and a relaxed breakfast, then packed up the camper and headed off.Dropped off the camper, and took a shuttle to the Rendezvous in Christchurch.Checked in early and headed out for lunch and to explore the city.Christchurch was really hammered by that earthquake, but are slowly rebuilding.Lots of popup container shops and murals on deserted buildings.We visited the cardboard cathederal, the 185 white chair site and Cathedral Square.Back to the hotel for a 'real' shower and a cuppa.It was white ribbon day with a large ceremony in Cathederal Square at 5pm, so we watched 200 army cadets do a haka, speakers talking about family violence, and the end of the White Ribbon riders trek around the South Island. Very impressive and moving.Out for yummy Japanese for dinner, and watched some real TV in our ... read more

Geo: -44.0074, 170.483Lazy start to the day - late breakfast, then off to the Tekapo hot springs for a soak.Three hot pools, with temperatures ranging from 32 to 39 degrees.Picked up some supplies in town, and hired a bike for the afternoon.Derek headed off for a ride towards the observatory, but the track was meant for horses and walking, too rough for bikes.Back towards town, then off on another track, then alongside the lake and into the pine plantation for a while, finishing off with a quick look at the A2O track towards Oamaru.Back to the hot springs for another soak after a cuppa.Quiet dinner in the van, and some Fixer Upper before bed. ... read more

Geo: -44.6987, 169.133Not sure how many more lakes and snow topped mountains we can stand...Wanaka is lovely, more relaxed than Queenstown, and just a bit warmer.We stopped at Arrowtown and the Bungy bridge on the way, then picked up some cheese and bread from the Cheesery - for lunch.Checked into another Lakeview holiday park, and went for a wander around town.Back to the camper for cuppa, cake, reading and blog updating.Home cooked chicken shnitzels and salads for dinner. ... read more