Mount Cook in the clouds

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March 10th
Since leaving Dunedin we had some lovely weather - the first sustained period of lovely warm sunny days since our first week. David is now wearing shorts and we have hopefully put away our thicker jumpers. We’ve seen the big boulders on Moeraki beach and been to Twizel. It’s the starting point to go up the approach to Aoraki/Mount Cook. We were told in Twizel - in glorious sunshine - that there would probably be no flights as the weather was very windy up in the mountains - and sure enough as we drove up the clouds came down and the rain started. We never got to see Mount Cook - just tantalizing glimpses of ‘Nearly’ the top through the clouds. The forecast was for even worse weather the next day, so after a short walk up to a glacier we decided there was no point camping up there that night in the wind and rain.
We stayed the night at Lake Tekapo. This is one of the ‘Blue’ lakes - they are a vivid turquoise colour - really bright, but most oddly there is no reflection in the water- it looks like a huge bowl of jelly! Apparently it has to do with Glacial flour - particles suspended in the water and when the weather stirs it all up it gets brighter; very weird.
On Sunday morning we went to Mount John Observatory and had a guided talk about what they do up there- something called gravitational microlensing.-I can’t tell you what it means, though I did have a bit of understanding when the very enthusiastic guide was telling us - but it’s gone now! Ask David if you really want to know. Anyway - lots of telescopes - we had a look through a solar telescope - to look directly at the sun which was cool! And we learned how to find the Southern Cross and the South direction and the Magellan clouds!
We went on to Christchurch briefly as we had a few problems with the van and Kea are based there so we called in and got them sorted out - then up the coast road again.
We wanted to go back to Kaikouri to go whale watching but guess what, the weather set in and it poured with rain along that part of the coast. Remembering what Jeff and others had said about how rough it can be out there we felt it was not possible to go - the whales will have to see us in California!
i've updated the map - as you can see we have been all over the South Island -nearly done here : (

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Photos

our favourite road sign
Where in the world can we be?

Hector and David
David is cooking tonight

Mount Cook
well it's somewhere at the very end of this valley! The clouds got worse as we drove nearer.

Lake Tekapo
They really are this amazing colour

Comments

[Jean]

Wish I was there
Great to see/speak to you again this morning and that you are having such an amazing time. You'll just have to go back next year and do the things you've missed! Jeannie ;-)

[Gill and Jeff]

Onwards and upwards!
Can't believe that you have covered so much ground already! Look out North Island as the Howells are on their way!

[sian]

now I am worried!
Thought I'd catch up with your adventures...didn't expect to see David bungy jumping....to remind you of a book Lynne - "Whatever Next!" I will be afraid to log on soon! Have fun x

[dan]

Blue
Can you swim in the blue lakes?

[DavidandLynne]

Blue Lakes
Yes they have holiday villages around so I presume you can - but they are glacier waters so I imagine they would be very cold!