23. 24/11 - 03/12 - Going Camp(ing) in New Zealand

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24/11/07

A few shandies and a pre-7 o'clock alarm left us feeling a little worse for wear today as we set off for our 10 hour journey to Kaikoura on NZ's South Island to meet Kathryn and Andy, although with the usual jaw-dropping scenery on offer, life could be worse. We waited at the the bus station for our trip to the ferry from 7, alongwith a few stragglers from last night's festivities, and watched the plethora of police cars patrolling the streets keeping the morons in check. We saw why this was required as a couple of our bus shelter buddies, 2 large and aggressive maoris, shouted some abouse at a police car. Clearly the man in uniform was an acceptable target, although it did tickle me that they said it loud enough to try and impress the bus crowd, yet quiet enough to avoid cuffs. They were essentially a couple of nobh&&ds, but I wouldn't be saying that to their faces. The next couple of hours became a routine of waiting 20 minutes to jump on a bus for 2 minutes as we were gradually shuttled to the ferry port, and with sleep depravation nagging at our very souls, it all seemed a bit traumatic. Trauma did turn to disbelief at the ferry port as we were checked-in, airport style, and witnessed an older gentleman, with Asian bride, wheel his baggage trolley up to check-in, and simply turn and shunt it indiscriminately into the check-in lounge, clearly 'buy a bride' had finished with it!!!! I spent the next 20 minutes fantasising about walking up and giving him an earful, dressing the lazy sod down in front of everyone, but in true British style, I just shook my head in disbelief....

Our ferry was enormous, and fairly comfortable, so we settled into a couple of recliners and donned Ipods, before trying to catch some z's. The journey was fairly serene, we missed the whales spotted of the port-side (errrrr.....left or right?), although we did get to see a small pod of dolphins swimming alongside. That'll save us the $100 for a dolphin spotting trip....life was good again!! The real bonus was the slow ride into Picton Harbour, as we witnessed, for the first time, the beauty of the South Island. Rolling hills and mountains and emerald green sea as far as the eye could see. It may have taken the best part of 4 hours, but the view made it all worth it. After docking, and with a bit of time to kill before our bus transfer to Kaikoura, we decided to save a few quid and buy some food from a supermarket in town, rather than relax in the air-conditioned ferry lounge and pay a bit more (the back-packer in us is well and truly entrenched). It was a bit of a mission, especially loaded up with all our luggage, although we did get to see a boat, on a trailer, adorned with 3 dead hogs....nice. We have learn't that the Kiwi's are a bit manly, in the hunt and kill sense, and one shooting competition involves killing wild animals and dragging them back to base, on foot. I wouldn't mind so much but they don't really end up as food, just a pile of carcasses, which seems such a waste. After eating we hopped on our bus to Kaikoura, and as there were only 4 of us aboard, we spread out and enjoyed the view. The drive involved a quick stop-off half way at a petrol station/cafe/souvenir shop, which sold some fantastic baked goods, although we just had a coffee and watched......must not reach adult weight.......

The final leg had an added bonus, as we got to stop and see a seal colony, which made our suicide drive to Cape Palliser on gravel roads, consequently un-insured, precariously close to the sea, a bit of a waste. We did get to see them up close and with not a dead one in sight, the aroma was at least a little more civilised. Our arrival in bonusville continued in spectacular style as the bus driver kindly dropped us at the door of our pre-booked accomodation in Kaikoura, and at check-in, we found we'd been double booked!!!! This could have been a mare but instead we were upgraded for no extra charge, meaning en-suite, TV, and a clean spacious room. The view from our exclusive, top floor only, kitchen-diner and balcony was amazing too, over-looking the mountains and farmland of Kaikoura, although if i'm being a bit fussy, we had to walk 10 feet to see the sea as well!!!!! We chilled and watched TV for a couple of hours before meeting my sis and her fiance at about 7. Despite being c.11,000 miles from home, it felt like we were there again, as we slipped back into our old routine. We spent the evening catching up, taking it easy, saw yet another seal during a wander on the beach, and finished off the night with some fish and chips and some chilled vino. The wine tasted great, a really easy tipple, which I had selected, although we later worked out why.......it was 5.7%!!!!!!!! As we played cards and gassed it felt great to be 'home' again, and we even had a late night, it was gone 11.....

25/11/07

A great night's kip meant that when we woke before 9, we were feeling fighting fit. Kathryn and Andy were due for breakfast soon, and scrambled eggs, muesli, toast and honey swiftly followed. We sat down for what we thought would be an excrutiating process, planning the route for our road trip around the South Island, whilst we also had to make the decision, camping or hostel, camping or hostel, camping or hostel......It all turned out a little simply, we wanted to follow the same route, West Coast, down and round to Dunedin on the East Coast, and camping seemed like the way forward. It wasn't gonna be flash-packing but it was gonna be an adventure and a journey into something new, something we've missed since the distant days of Vietnam, motorbike tours and 'massage parlours'!!!!!! We settled on the alpine route of Arthur's Pass to get us Westwards, and to celebrate, we went for a 2 hour coastal walk in the blistering sun!!! Luckily a breeze kept us from completely dehydrating, and we enjoyed yet more typical NZ views, mountains, more bloody seals, gulls, hills, the sea, etc etc. We talked along the way about our trips, things we've seen, learnt, and even about life at home, as the distance does give you a bit of perspective. I won't bore you with the detail, but you'll be glad to know, i'm wiser than ever........

On the way back we stopped off to buy our camping gear, which wasn't much as Kathryn and Andy (stuff writing their names in full, they'll be K & A from now on) are well-equipped, but a thick sleeping bag was on the menu, as was some chairs and a pillow. After lunch we chilled, interwebbed and went for a run in the mid-afternoon sun, whilst they surfed, and finished up with a dip in the guest house pool.....the things we are gonna leave behind......I'm sure you'll all have be wondering how long we lasted in the tent, it will definitely amuse you, but you can read on and find out later!!!! K & A rocked up after 7 and we tucked into bolognese for dinner, which we cooked in our pukka kitchen. We spent the night chatting with another couple, who were on their honeymoon and were enjoying a 6 week holiday, although with him being a surfer, and K & A being more than interested, the conversation took more than one journey in that direction!!!

26/11/07

Our last night with a mattress ended at about 8, and we were up and packed in no time, although we did treat ourselves to a nice long hot shower!!!! We met up for a pre-drive breakfast at our luxury kitchen/diner (we are gonna miss all this), before we bought another pillow (c'mon, there are some things you just can't do without), juiced up the Hi-Ace, and blew our kitty on some serious food shopping. By the time we had got going it was nearly half 11, with Andy and I up front and Amy and Kathryn in the back making all the sight-seeing and overnight camp spot decisions. Life was good and easy (alledgedly I was navigator but a mixture of relaxation, wicked scenery and being used to sitting back whilst a little Asian fella got you from A to B meant I was errr.....crap!!!! I have got my act together but to say I was asleep on the job would be an understatement). We enjoyed the coastal road, followed by mountains and hills, and more than a few sheep (every Welshman's dream) and cattle, cruising through Cheviot, Amberley, Ashley (where we stopped for lunch and I was introuduced to Haki-Sak, potentially THE most addictive game ever, although clearly i've been away from the football field for a little too long. I am more Ronald McDonald than Ronaldinho!!), Rangiora, Oxford and Waddington before heading for Arthur's Pass.

We ended up stopping short of the pass at Lake Pearson, a free (my favourite word, and evidently Andy's too!!) camping spot, which sat between the mountain range and Lake Pearson. Our tent was pitched a stone's throw from the water, although before pitching it we unsuccessfully attempted to catch freshwater fish with a sea water set-up (unsurpisingly, no joy), and kicked back for the rest of the day. A spinach and pumpkin rissotto was rustled up for dinner (not by me though, i'm am somewhat absent on the cooking front, which, with the navigator lapses, is kinda questionning my input...), which seemed a little less spartan than I was expecting, a real bonus, before we tucked into some red wine before bed time beckoned. We were in bed by 10, asleep by 11, and whilst things were a little nippy, we survived and got a decent night's kip.

27/11/07

We didn't make it up until about half 8, which meant the bags under the eyes were under control, although my somewhat blasee claims about having an early morning dip didn't come true as the water was absolutely freezing!! Note to self. If a lake is surrounded by snow-capped mountains then it is essentially melted snow, therefore fricking cold. Please consider this before chirping up after a couple of glasses!!! We didn't rush up and out, we had nearly 2 weeks for the trip and it wasn't until half 10 that we made our way to the Kura Tawhiti boulders for a some stomach churning views atop huge rock formations. The boulders were out of this world, and literally looked so, and we even saw a few faces carved out of the rock by the wind and rain. Apparently they were used in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, but i'd be damned if I could remember them. Just before 1 we jumped back in the van and set off for/through Arthur's Pass, enjoying the snowy peaks, huge dried up river beds (bet they would look even better in full flow in winter) before stopping at Arthur's Pass town (population 62), for a quick re-supply and lunch.

We burned off lunch hiking up to see Devil's Punchbowl Fall (no, not the one in guildford...), whilst Amy tried to rid me of a little excess weight by slamming the sliding van door on my arm as I reached through to un-lock the passenger door. Sympathy was in short supply as it was 'my' fault, and consequently, there didn't seem much point whingeing about it.........Being late afternoon, our thoughts turned to finding a camping spot for the night, and we decided to take a look at a couple we had espied earlier. The first involved an epic drive on a rocky, gravel road, and to be honest, fires weren't permitted so we knocked that on the head. Greyney's Shelter would indulge our pyromania, in style, within a stone building!!! In between batting away the sand flies, which were to become an almost daily, or more accuately, hourly, obsession, we cracked on with some haki-sak and gathered some serious firewood (which has severely boosted our 'manly' points). We got our flame-filled companion going early evening, with Amy and Kathryn rustling up chilli whilst Andy and I fed our new baby and baked some potatoes in the hot coals. Dinner turned out to be....fantastic, the pots cooked to perfection, and with food out of the way I chucked a dozen logs on the fire (oh yes, i'd spent some time taking this opportunity 'seriously'. I'd trimmed the logs using just a rock and my bare hands (me tarzan, you jane!!) into the ideal length), and we enjoyed the bahamian heat eminating from the fire. With shin hair singed, we headed for bed after hot chocolate.......

28/11/07

Our sleep was reasonable, although our proximity to the highway meant a few passing lorries woke us with a startle (The Russian's are coming!!!!!!) so we weren't exactly A1 first thing, although a hot cuppa and some muesli breathed some life into our 'slightly too old for camping bones'. We actually managed to set off just after 9, which was pretty impressive considering our lack of a timetable, and headed for the Arthur's Pass information centre to check the weather for our 4 hour hike on Bealey Walk. Snow on the mountains overnight meant extra layers were recommended, I donned a skin-tight vest (I have a few), whilst Amy wrapped up warm and K & A followed suit. We even packed a few snacks in case of, well, just in case, and set off at about half 10. The trek was brilliant, the terrain varied, grassland, forest, rocks, river bed, mountain, and Andy and I really enjoyed getting stuck into the rock jumping phase, although our sadistic early pace-maker, my sis, meant the lactic was on the up!! Disaster struck Amy, as she started feeling some knee pain, which wouldn't have been so bad but we were only halfway up and we still had all the terrain to go on the way down. She did grin and bear it, limping along, although all our spirits were lifted by the mega bonus at the top of the walk, a frozen river. Technically it was snow that had frozen as it slid down the mountain in the river bed, and the scale was immense, 5 metres high and 10 wide, although I was slightly concerned that we were following the path of the river back down, and this bad boy was looking decidedly precarious, pearched on top of the rocks.

Luckily she behaved and we got back in 1 piece, although hop-along aka Amy, was in a limpy way on the final stretch. 2 other things struck us on our return. 1, we'd done the 4 hour walk in just over 2 hours, which was pretty good for the ego and the 'manly' points, and 2, the requirement for extra layers was somewhat OTT. We ended up t-shirts only on the way down, K & A and I even dunking our heads in the ice cold river to cool down, and I can tell you, this was the only 'ice cream' headache i've had that consumed my entire cranium from the eye balls upwards!! Back at the van, we didn't waste time and headed on to Kumara and the West Coast. The landscape was a mix of towering mountains and rich, flat, farmland, and kept us entertained before our river-side lunch break. To say that this was the life would be an understatement. 3 Al Fresco meals a day surrounded by picture perfect scenery was more than Amy and I expected, or could have asked for, and sleeping under canvas meant it was cheap as chips. It blows the theory that money is the route to happiness......

Within an hour we had reached the coast, and headed for Hokitika, although there was a less than friendly feel about the place. No Camping signs adorned every stop, although I think maybe we've got too used to the genuine and friendly nature of the kiwi's we've encountered, it turned out it wasn't all bad. The afternoon was killed by the sea, Andy surfing, with the rest of us reading, suduko'ing, Amy keeping the pressure off the knee, whilst I was becoming frighteningly aware of the behavioural similarities between my sis and I, poor Kathryn.......K & A rustled up a spanking curry for dinner whilst Amy and I.......sunned ourselves (hmmm, I need to get my arse in gear or i'm gonna be jettisoned as 'dead weight'!!). Our vista for the night was the stunning Lake Mahinapua, and the surrounding forest and mountains, which was yet another slice of paradise, and in a relaxed mood, we were camped up by 9 and asleep by half 10.

29/11/07

After a decent night's sleep and some filter coffee (not excatly roughing it..), we were buzzing this morning. The camping was proving fun, not fretful, for Amy and I, and with her knee feeling a bit better, the trip was going almost perfectly. The only slight downer was the slight 'sheen' our hair had developed, and we decided that a proper shower was in order. We decided, alongside writing the shopping list (everyone's favourite task as we aren't holding back on the food front) that we would head into town today to the public swimming baths for a bit of exercise and a decent wash!!!! This left only the morning and early afternoon to kill, which we did, in the glorious sunshine with the Haki-Sak, view, reading and some clothes washing keeping us entertained. Lunch took the form of an asparagus omelette (yum yum), before we left at just gone 2 for a wash, sorry swim......With school kids filling our bath til half 2 we decided to go all time efficient and squeeze in the food shopping. The bill was a bit of a shock, but more so was the actual shopping itself, which shows what a good or bad job (you decide) our parents have done on the food education front. We went for a trolley full of fruit, vegetables, and a truck load of muesli. We did treat ourselves to a bag of cookies and some tomato sauce, which I guess is kinda of unhealthy, but i'm clutching at straws here....

Our afternoon's swim was great exercise, new found cleanliness and playing on the inflatables the highlights, although a hot shower and our new friends (a couple of 'hick' girls who took great pleasure in telling Kathryn and Amy that they had hundreds of cousins, and they were ALL pregnant) weren't far behind. After some internetting and re-juicing the beast we were back on the road, fully refreshed and heading for the Franz Josef, and Fox, glaciers. Whilst the scenery was still coastal, it quickly switched to sub-tropical, and very remote, and little did we know, the sand fly count was on the up, BIG TIME!!! The drive took forever, and we didn't arrive at the campsite until gone 7, but thankfully that still left us over 2 hours of daylight. The mountain view from our pitch was immense, and the rugged coastline just over the horizon was equally impressive. Another fire was on the cards, partly to ward off sand flies but mainly to barbecue the steak and sausages we had treated ourselves too, and boost the 'manly' points!!!

Kathryn and I set about collecting firewood, which she yet again did somewhat more successfully than me (who says sibling rivalry dies), whilst Amy set up camp, and Andy got the fire going. I had a bit of a shock on the way back from the beach, arms cradling driftwood, as I broke through the dunes and onto the grassy clearing by the camp. As I looked left, then right (never forget the green cross code!!), I saw a plane heading straight for me!!! I'd stumbled onto the runway!!!! I hot-footed it over to our campsite, leaving a trail of fallen driftwood, managing to avoid having minced salmon on the menu tonight!!! Once back we got the fire roaring, cracked open the red wine and, if I do say so myself, cooked the steak to perfection on the fire, and for once, enjoyed a late night!!

30/11/07

The sun came up early, again, and with no cloud cover, our tent turned into a sauna and we finally escaped the heat at half 7. Being drowsy from the heat, and with some wine induced dehydration and tiredness nagging away, it was a bit of a struggle, although we still managed to de-camp and be out fairly early. Our destinations today were the Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers, which we aimed to climb, although Amy was gonna give it a miss due to her knee. We were all expecting cold weather when we arrived, but despite having the Franz Josef Glacier in view, it was boiling, and we sauntered over to the information centre to check the weather and safety conditions in our thongs. With avalanche potential fairly low, we set off for the 1 hour hike to the base of the glacier, which looked a little unimpressive from a distance, but by the time we had reached the foot, we were blown away by its scale. It was immense, although to my surprise the base was rock coloured, not snowy white, due to the debris it picks up on its slow march down the mountain. We spent some time, not too much, at the base, as we were more than aware from the 'Extreme Danger' signs, that we were here at our own, and very real, risk.

The walk back involved a quick rinse in an icy stream that was running from the glacier, the cleaning facility of choice for any camper, and we celebrated our return with some cheese and vegemite sandwiches in the van....gourmet!!! The only downer was the toll the last few days had taken on us, the disturbed sleep, hiking, lack of calories etc, and we were all pretty knackered, Amy's knee not adding to her enjoyment. We decided that we would give the hike at the Fox Glacier a miss, and did more of a drive-by, downing some Vit C to stave off the colds that were developing. Amy and I actually kipped in the van, which resulted in some whiplash style neck injuries but we coped, and headed for Lake Paringa afterwards. Lake Paringa was due to be an r & r stop, you know, sit in the sun, read a book, have a nap, an early night etc, but unfortunately it was infested with sandflies, and from late afternoon to nightfall, we didn't enjoy any rest as we batted off the bastards. We ended up being eaten alive, which almost took the edge off the spectacular surroundings we were camping in, but the arrival of some fruit eating parakeets just before bed time raised the spirits.

01/12/07

We were up well before 8 today, the sound of sand flies landing on our tent literally sounded like rainfall, the numbers were insane. Unsurprisingly, we were all a bit quiet in the van as we headed for a breakfast stop, but it was a temporary lull, as soon as we could find sand fly-less pastures we'd be ok. In the end, we did, at Haast Township, a remote but affluent looking town, with great public toilets, which meant, a wash!!!!! We had a cuppa, all had a decent scrub, and sat in the sun for a couple of hours, resting up before the next leg of our journey. As we pulled off, African Jazz blaring out of the speakers, clean, hydrated, in fresh clothes, sand fly free and back in shorts, things were looking up, and another picturesque drive took us to an insect free Lake Wanaka. Lake Wanaka is a massive body of water, which, with the wind, appeared to be almost tidal, and the sand and pebble beach added to the effect. Driftwood filled the beach, which meant another fire was on the cards, and we settled in for an afternoon of Haki-Sak, lake views and chilling.

With the wind being almost gale force, the fire would have been best started later, but boredom and testosterone meant it got going at 5, as the parched, termite ridden wood went up quick as. We tried to ease off on the re-fuelling front to save causing a forest fire, and eeked out the fire for a few hours. We cooked potatoes in the flames again, but even with our drip feed of wood, the wind equalled mega intensity, and Kathryn became increasingly concerned that we were gonna start a fire, which wasn't helped by me leaving a log near the fire to dry out, and it burst into flame!!!!!! With me under control, we enjoyed dinner and a couple of vinos, before stoking things up later in the night. The fire was roaring, and we toasted....toast on the fire, it was real Boys Own stuff, and no, I don't mean the Stephen Gately kind!!!!!! Our peaceful and exclusive site was invaded a little later by a load of Germans in Campers, late, rapid and aggressive, real Blitzkreig stuff. So, after some people watching, and find their German-ness amusing, we signed off for an early night about 10, Amy's knee on the mend, Kat and Andy a little tipsy, and me with burn holes in my fleece.....boys will be boys!!!

02/12/07

The Germans meant that we were up at half 7, as, with German precision, they set their alarms early and de-camped first thing, I guess before heading off to invade some other land.......(maybe thats pushing the boundaries a little, but you understand my sentiment....). I was somewhat irritated by the constant slamming of doors and slightly raised, strained German accents, but irritation turned to dread as I realised their, and now our, dilemma. They had woken to sand fly hell, and had de-camped in an act of self-preservation as they were forced to flee their lands (what goes around...), and the sound of rain/sand fly invasion reached the tent. Kathryn and Andy, protected by their insect repellant did what they could to help but short of towing us, and the tent, to Wanaka town, we had to brave it. We did what we could inside and faced the onslaught, the air thick with our biting foes and our muffled cries......After 10 minutes of flailing wildly we were in the van and roaring out of the campsite, seriously bored of the fricking flies, and searched for pastures new, and insect-less.

Luckily a stunning drive alongside Lake Wanaka and Lake Hawea lifted the mood, and as we arrived in Wanaka town, we reached what seemed like an oasis. A beautiful lake was fringed by mountains, the public amenities were lakeside and immaculate, and the town was an amalgamation of decent hotels, shops, cafes and restaurants, which meant affluence. The tourist buck had helped create this oasis, and the absence of insects meant we stayed here for a couple of days, enjoying more glorious sunshine. To lift the mood french toast, pancakes and fruit were rustled up, and with some filter coffee washing it down, things looked up. We spent the rest of the morning sunning ourselves before a wander through town at 12 confirmed that we'd be in the tent again tonight, as the hostel rooms were nearly $80, with shared bathrooms!!!!! The afternoon was spent in the sun and out on some kayaks, where Amy vowed she would never go out on them with me ever again (and no, it was not my fault, we just have contrasting power and like most women, she is right/left dyslexic, so my orders were not always carried out as I would have wished...). Looking back I had fun, Amy...didn't, and the exercise I got from solely powering the kayak did the guns some good.

In truth, the losing battle against muscle wastage is turning into a rout, as lack of weight training and lack of protein has turned me into more of a man-boy, which was only confirmed by a later shopping trip, which you can read about in the next blog.....Needless to say, sand is now kicked in my face on the beach.......The day was finished off with another rissotto, and whilst we had to make a run for the van to avoid a seagull attack, it was bug free, which we can cope with. We camped later in a small town called Arrow Town, just north of the lush green Wanaka area, and the landcape became more Arizonian, which didn't help on the tent peg front. Still, we had been bitten today so we slept well...

03/12/07

We were up before 8 today, feeling great, and we enjoyed our lunch listening to the roar of the river, and view of the mountains. We all got chatting about our trips, and Kathryn and Andy's trip to come to Australia, Bali and Sri Lanka, which filled me with a bit of envy, as India and Sri Lanka were places I wished i'd visited, but it didn't really fit in when we all booked our trip 8 months ago. Maybe one day we'll visit, although I think the back-packer gig has run its course, so a bit more luxury or an extended holiday will do the trick. In truth being stuck on the back-packer circuit got boring a long time ago. Although initially its refreshing, new, exciting, I can't do the 'ground hog chat with a stranger thing' day after day, week after week, I need to have personal interactions that run a little deeper. If it hadn't been for the extended time we spent with Barrie, Chloe and Lee, Owen and Carla, Kellie and Pete, and now Kathryn and Andy, we'd have been home weeks ago. Such a long period surrounded by strangers doesn't do it for me, and we are looking forward to getting home and sharing everything with our friends and family, unless this blog has bored them to death and they want to change the subject!!!!!

After a relaxing breakfast we headed back to Wanaka, and the lake, doing some laundry and getting some albino time in the morning. We played the pikey card in the afternoon as our makeshift washing line was erected, probably much to the horror of the locals, who saw their lake invaded by un-shaven, greasy travellers in a camper, but the sun was out so we were going nowhere!!!! The afternoon ambled along, we searched in vain for Amy's engagement ring (not the original, we got a back-up for her to take travelling which she has lost!! Consequently I will be confiscating and pawning the original to pay for a widescreen TV. 'What was that Amy? Over your dead what?'), played some Haki-Sak, and then un-wisely, I went for a run with my sis. Unfortunately for me she has done a few half marathons and is in a running club, so not even male pride could help me keep pace As we ran in the heat, my 'form' was corrected, and my lungs burst!!!! We finished off with a dip in the lake to cool off, which is exactly what happened, as the icy mountain water-filled bath froze me to my very core!!

Early evening we set off for Queenstown, after a productive couple of days catching up on sleep, almost sorting Amy's CV (I gave it the benefit of my recruitment prowess, and lets face it people, that is a lot of prowess!!), and generally topping up the tan, which has waned a little since our days in scorching Asia and Oz on the beach. Our drive was errrrr, mesmerising, at first Arizonian mountains, then vineyards, farmlands, rivers, lakes, abandoned gold towns, before we reached Queenstown and its rugged mountainous features (which, is a pretty accurate way to describe me I think you'd agree...or is that lego haired moron....?). Queenstown is another booming oasis, doing very well from the skiiing and adventure sports crowd, and the immaculate Truman Show-esque town centre was evidence of that. Needless to say prices matched, so we chose camping out of town, next to a forest and a lake, ergo SAND FLIES!! Luckily it was late and we were knackered, and due to quite a bit of practice we were safely in the tent in no time, ready for the next stage of our road trip in central and eastern New Zealand, with almost 1,000 miles under our belts.

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Photos

Picton
View as we came towards land from ferry

Picton
Our ferry from North to South used to be Pride of Cherbourg

Kaikoura
Seal watching

Arthurs pass
Hacky sack

Arthurs pass
Andy doing a spot of rock climbing

Arthurs pass
Devils punch bowl watherfall

Arthurs pass
Devils punchbowl waterfall

Arthurs pass
Our little fire

Arthurs pass
Walk up Bealys vally

Arthurs pass
The boys getting a bit wet

Hokitika
Andy Surfing

Hokitika
By the lake

Hokitika
Our little camp site

Glaciers
We kept walking

Glaciers
Us in the van

Wanaka
Cooking on the fire

Wanaka
Chillin by the lake

Wanaka
Looks odd in the sunshine!!!

Wanaka
Gorge - They did bungy jumping here, we weren't brave enough

Wanaka
Kayaking on the lake