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Published: April 1st 2005
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howdi from NZ
Its been a while since the last one, entirely due to my own laziness, so this one's gonna be a belter.
I've now been 2 weeks in NZ, still entirely in the south Island. For most of the time, Cat and I have been driving round all the sites. Let me divulge some of the highlights that we've seen/eaten/drunk/swam with.
Christchurch: a cool town that gets bigger and better everytime I go back there. There's loads of places to eat and drink, which is great 'cause the food at the YMCA reminds me of college. A jazz festival is starting up. My mate Rob who I'm going back to stay with wouldn't forgive me if I didn't use the word 'chic' when describing the place. We didn't stay long here as we were keen to see some of the south island scenary...
Lake Tekapo: hiring a car, we drove through drizzle under grey cloud. Approaching the lake, the sky almost immediately cleared and before us was the bluest lake I have ever seen. Its blue because of minerals in the underlying rocks and surrounded by amazing mountains that seem to collect the clouds. I've
never seen so much sky before. It is reflected beautifully in the water. The photos will NOT do it justice.
We did a bike ride the next day in glorious sunshine. It went on longer than expected (Cat will blame me for lack of map reading). As we were struggling on a track about 3-inches wide made of sharp rocks we were nearing physical exhaustion. All I could think of was cool lemonade (we hadn't packed any water being English tourists - "surely there'll be cafes") Approaching an old lady to ask for directions to a cafe (I sounded pretty stupid) she insisted she make us drinks. Her name was Dorothy and will be the best Dorothy I know. She gave us lemonade (get in!) AND cake. All was well.
Mount Cook: A huge snow covered mountain. Its AWESOME. We got a flight to a glacier landing on the snow and then relaxed in the Hermitage hotel with an over-priced pannini.
Queenstown: fantastic city where you can do everything. We quite fancied jet boating. This is an NZ invention. Its basically a boat that sucks in water from the front and squirts it out the back at
Cool bar
on our thrones of ice up to 70km/h. It makes the boat go, well, quite fast. So we got one of these infernal contraptions to take us through the shotover canyon. The driver, either phenomenally well trained or a class A nutter, takes you within an inch of the canyon wall. The only thing I can liken it you (and I'm sorry this is a bit niche) is when Alan Partridge gets taken rally driving on one of the episodes of The Day Today (the spoof news programme shown in the 90s). He starts of calm enough but culminates with him shouting "watch out of that!" in a way that only Alan Partridge can shout. I am serious about introducing the jetboat to London. I quite fancy belting up and down the Thames, taking a thin layer of paint off the HMS Belfast.
I have to mention the COOLEST bar we went to. Its kept at -7 degress and everything is made of ice, even the glasses. Gimmicky? Of course, but we got to wear big coats and stare through a 6-inch window at this couple we had met earlier in the day who were stalking us.
Also in Queenstown , we went
horse whispering
I am trying not to be embarrassed about this one horse riding (gee do you think this was Cat's idea?) I looked like Robert Redford. The photo will prove this conclusively. Good fun and yet again astounding views. The stalking couple were there as well. They just couldn't leave us alone.
When driving through NZ, there are look out points almost every 500 yards on the roads. It is really hard to resist just pulling over and taking yet more photos.
Milford Sound: Milford Sound is a fjiord. I can say that because I now know what one is: a huge valley cut out by glaciers which the sea has retreated into (geography lesson over). Again, the beauty beggers belief: mountains rising almost perpendicular to the water, hanging valleys and majestic waterfalls.
Lake Wanaka: big lake, did walk, got red nose.
There's quite a lot of driving to do round the island so we got some tapes. Since no tapes were made in the world after 1997 (fact) we had to do with Michael Jackson (Invincible), over the rainbow (a collection of hollyowood musical singalongs), and another 'chillout' tape featuring the ORIGINAL dallas theme tune. We are now SICK of them all.
Franz Josef Glacier:
one of the few advancing glaciers in the world.
Nelson: an active town with loads to do. Cat was after some beach/tanning action so we did a bit of that. We also paid a visit to the Abel Tasman National Park. It's a long stretch of coastline with more bays than Michael Jackson has lawyers. A tried to stand in the split apple rock (there were loads of adverts on the London underground of it). Almost made it too. But after stubbing my toe 23 times, I picked up my flip flops and trudged back to shore. Rubbish!
Blenheim: wine country! woohoo! there's nothing like biking round vineyards on a hot day tasting wine. Even the attractive carry bags on the bikes had special compartments for holding purchased bottles.
Another highlight here was me discovering a new mammal species - some kind of dog-sheep. See photo. Bizarre.
Kaikora: renound for whale-watching and swimming with dolphins. We were spawny Londoners, turning up in the busy season and managing to do both. Whale watching was ok (we sighted a sperm whale) but what made it was the 4-seater plane journey. Circling over the ocean dipping down every so often
picture postcard view
taken at one of the 8 thousand lookouts on the roads to check out a possible blow-hole (oo er).
Swimming with dolphins was by far the best thing I think I have done in NZ so far. With wet-suit and snorkel gear (photo NOT attached) you get taken in a boat out to the ocean. The boat stops about 100 yards ahead of a pod of about 500 dusky dolphins. You're lying in the ocean with you're head down and then suddenly, these huge dolphins mob you. Perhaps mob is the wrong word but there are so many of them all within touching distance almost. It was also a slightly surreal experience and we were encouraged to sing to the dolphins (apparently this makes them interested). I tried but I can only assume Eminem is not to their taste.
After that ordeal, we returned to Christchurch. Cat had to fly home to the UK to go back to work (many commiserations) and so I am now on my own. Having spent a couple of days in and around Christchurch, I am now heading south again hoping to make it to Stewart Island (population 450, location: miles from anywhere). The Lonley Planet claims it has the australis boreolis (or however
you spell it) or the the equivalent of the Northern Lights. So am keen to check it out. Am currently in Dunedin (the South Islands second city). Cool place. Tonight I'm going to cook for myself for the first time in 6 weeks. The next log will be written from A&E.
Thanks to all who have emailed. Its great to hear from you. I'll try to keep this blogging lark up more regularly.
As Bob Holness says, "its bye for now"
A.
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