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Published: August 2nd 2006
SOUTHERN COASTAL TRIP
View from Nugget PointHi everyone from Lake Tekapo. Before we tell you about our amazing flight in a six seater Cessna that we took last week, best we take you back to our last few days in Dunedin.
As reported we hired a car for a couple of days. On the first day we set off for the southern parts of the island. You are probably getting as fed up of reading about it as we are of saying it BUT the scenery on our trip was absolutely mesmerising. We set off in bright sunny weather and followed the coast route all the way down to the most southerly point - Slope Point. By the time we had reached there the weather had turned completely and it was thundery, cold and wet. On the way we stopped off at various wildlife viewing points but unfortunately our luck was out. (Chris, Ruth-Anne - your advice about Surat Point arrived too late. Thank you nonetheless. Chris's previous advice about the best beer has not gone amiss!)
We then headed to Invercargill and we regretted having taken someone else's advice not to stay there for the night. It seemed a nice vibrant place, but we
SOUTHERN COASTAL TRIP
View Linda couldn't resist could only stop for a couple of hours before we had to head back to Dunedin where the following day we........
Went for a tour around the nearby penisula. Again the scenery was astonishing but again we were out of luck vis-a-vis wildlife sightings.
Just an aside for our Scottish readers. It was weird travelling around Dunedin and seeing roadsigns for Costorphine, Portobello, Dalkeith and the like. Ken feels like he is back in Edinburgh - pint of 80 shillings anyone!
Yesterday we were up early to catch our Magic Bus to Lake Tekapo. Yes, you guessed it; brilliant scenery. Lakes, snow-capped mountains, canals, near and far: yes near canals and......) The weather was also spectacular with not a cloud in the sky. This last persuading us to take a 'once in a lifetime opportunity' of a scenic flight over Mt Cook in a fixed wing aircraft. We had already decided that we were going to take such a flight but with such great weather we jumped (not literally) at the chance.
Despite some pre flight jitters from Linda we and three others (plus the pilot) took off for what can only be described as a jaw
SOUTHERN COASTAL TRIP
The Southernmost point in New Zealand. Bleak isn't the word. dropping hour in the air. At times it felt we could reach out and touch Mt Cook and the other mountains. The ariel views of the lakes and the glaciers cannot be done justice by words alone. Even then we aren't sure that the photos do the flight justice.
The flight comes straight in at number one in the Highlights of our Trip. We hope the photos give you even half of the feelings that we had.
Ken & Linda
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Smiffy
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Perfect
Hey Up Ken, Hi Linda, A couple of pints of Addlestones were raised for absent friends at yon Cambridge Folk Festival on Sunday. There was a bloomin'marvellous start to the proceedings with a stonking set by the astounding Rodrigo y Gabriela which included a salsaed up version of Stairway to Heaven. Ken - judging by the images of Mount Cook etc you'd have appreciated the delightful Eddi Reader dedicating a version of Perfect that she needed to get out of her system to the demise of Top of the Pops. I've thoroughly enjoyed following you around - keep it coming. D A Smith Retired Civil Servant