Kia Ora from NZ's South Island

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Hi All, Well thankfully we've moved on from the heat and sweat of our camper van to the cooler and very sunny and astonishinly gorgeous South Island of New Zealand. This is by far the best country we've been to so far. When we were flying over from Sydney to Christchurch the views were amazing. Clear blue skies, clean turquoisish ocean, the southern Alps, green fields and then the Canterbury plains.
We got into our hostel in Christchurch in no time and it was very nice (Old Country House). The weather was just perfect 22C, blue skies and a nice relief from Sydney. We had an early start so we went for a snooze then set about exploring Christchurch for a few hours. We bought a few provisions, red meat and red wine, and Maeve made a delicious Spag Bol. We sat down to watch some Fr. Ted (it's quite big over here) and retired.

3 things I missed from home that I never realised I missed. These were real unexpected treats that we were able to have in New Zealand and had forgotten existed as we were so long now in warm climes. Firstly it's amazing how deeply you sleep when it's cool at night. I woke up the next morning a new man - I hadn't slept like that in ages. Then (secondly) I had a shower and they're so much nicer hot when it's cool outside. Take it from me hot showers in humid temperatures are horrible. Lastly there is nothing like having a nice cold beer in the pub with your feet up in front of a roaring fire.

Christchurch is a nice city and good for a long weekend to sit back and enjoy. Some of the buildings are lovely but then they put really ugly highrises in between them and it really takes away from the city. It was really nice to just walk around and see the sights. Every morning it was nice, cool and crisp but with a lovely big blue sky so you knew it was going to be a cracking day. We're here over 3 weeks now ad everyday has been the same (apart from a few cooler cloudier days in the mountains where you expect it anyway.) I know generally the weather here is supposed to be like home - very changeable, so I guess we've been really lucky with the weather. A couple we know travelled NZ for 3 weeks at Christmas (the height of the NZ summer) and it rained solid everyday.

We went to the Cathedral Square had some food and then walked out to the botanic gardens (it seems that no city in Australia or NZ is complete without a city centre area called the CBD and a Botanical Gardens.) The river that runs through the city is called the Avon and in true Oxford or Cambridge style you can Punt on it. We, in an effort to save money, just rented a canoe and did the punting ourselves. Thanks to Maeves' lack of coordination and position at the front of the canoe we kept chrashing and running over Mallard ducks (They give quite a thud when you run over them). Thankfully whilst a few ducks were killed we weren't and survived to have a coffee and a bun (muffin) afterwards. Then we strolled around the lovely gardens and just relaxed. After all the rushing around Australia it was nice to take as long to cross a small city on foot in Christchurch as we'd have spent covering 300kms in Australia.

The next morning we were due to get on the Tranz Alpine train in an effort to start our adventures around the South Island. Maeve set the alarm for 7.25am for an 8.10am pick up and we had another great deep sleep. I woke up at 7.25 the next morning and rolled over and fell back asleep. After a while Maeve asked me what time it was.... 8.07am, I rolled over again and then it dawned on us that something was wrong with this whole scenario -- What could it be??? We didn't have to get up for work, no that wasn't it, We didn't have to drive another 565kms through Australia, no that wasn't it either. Were our minds playing tricks on us, hmmm??? Shit, shit, shit, shit the f*c&ing bus, shit. What followed was the fastest dressing, packing and organising in the history of dressing, packing and organising. I was dispatched (with the heaviest bags) to halt any bus whilst Maeve tidied up the last of our stuff. I raced to the front gate and there was just a couple there waiting for a different bus, our bus had not arrived yet. Maeve arrived puffing like a steam train through the gate and as we waited the alarm-failing-to-go-off post-mortem began. Maeve set the alarm on her phone, the alarm was set for 7.25am and it was set. The problem, it emerged, was that she never changed the time on her phone from Sydney time (2 hours later) to NZ time. Anyway the bus arrived 10 minutes late, the driver chirpyly took our bags and appolgised for being late, 'no worries mate' was all I could say.

The Tranz Alpine train goes from Christchurch on the eastern coast to Greymouth on the waestern coast. It glides across the wide flat Canterbury plains. It's just farm after farm after farm and then rises up and cuts through the Southern Alps.The scenery is breathtaking and there are many bridges and tunnels on the way to Greymouth. We spent one night in Greymouth before getting onto our Magic Bus to travel around the rest of NZ. The Magic Bus is a great way of travelling around NZ, It's a hop on hop off service that goes to the most interesting places. The only thing is that some of the accomodation is dodge. And the place we stayed at in Greymouth was Dodgey, we spent the night in a Cabinpak with wheels. (Apparently it is owned by a Magic Bus bus driver and that figures - why else would we stay there.)

Anyway Greymouth was a fine place worth only 1 nights visit. We did a brewery tour of the Montheiths brewery, it was really nice with excellent beer. The bar man gave us a tour and then into the bar for beer sampling. They brew 7 different types of beer, all very tasty, and you get to sample all 7. Then you get the chance to pour your own pint. Then the bar man let us have a free-for-all until our bus came to pick us up. Lets just say we made the best use of the entrance fee possible. Then we were brought to the Montheiths bar in Greymouth for a free pint and all you can eat BBQ. The experience thus far was brilliant but then it all went pear-shaped. We ordered their famous Super-Pint which was a bit bigger than an ordinary pint, most of us only got ordinary pints as tourist had nicked most of the super pint glasses. Then we were under whelmed by the BBQ, not what we though we'd be getting. Then after I went up to buy a couple of drinks, when I got to the bar one of the guys had been given an ordinary pint when he's ordered a super pint. When he brough this to the attention of the bar maid she wouldn't hear any of it. The discussion/argument wore on for a while, in front of a few astonished customers (As the bar maid tried to justrify charging this guy foir a super pint when he ((as she admitted)) had only gotten an ordinary pint). Then the other bar maid asked what was going on and upon hearing the story told the guy to pay up (the super pint price) or she was going to call the cops. It was pathetic, the guy was quite reasonable and not agressive and this is the way they treated him. He walked out, I followed and lets just say it didn't take long before everybody left the bar.

We went to the Royal bar next door and, unexpectantly, had the best craic with the bar owner and 3 locals. Maeve was still dancing away at 1.30am. There was a really scruffy guy, a local concreting contractor and a local lady (who, as local rumour has it, only comes into town when her husband goes out of town on business).

The really nice scruffy guy who, (and you couldn't blame him really) fell in love with Maeve, was a gold prospector. He wanted her to have his gold. He actually had a little bottle with some gold, black sands (aparently a very good sign of the quality of the gold) and water. It was one days worth of propecting and he insisted Maeve have it. Maeve insisted that she couldn't take his hard days earning a.) because he looked like he really badly needed it and b.) because there was pityfully little gold in it anyway. All that work for such little return, well no wonder he was so scruffy looking. The craic continued until late but eventually it was time to leave as Maeve couldn't dance any longer, Maeve's man left (broken hearted), the bar owner was locking up and the concreter was trying to make sure the local lady wouldn't be too lonely while her husband was away on business, kind sir.

Our next stop was Franz Josef. It was quite cold here, being a glacier but was really impressive. We had booked a 1 day hike up the glacier but the weather was too windy and the trip was cancelled. It was a pity. We did walk out to the base of the glacier in intermittent rain and even from a distance it was impressive. Everybody we met since said it was really impressive.

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