New Zealand South Island

---

We arrived in Christchurch on the 25th June. The flight was a little bumpy. So far we have been Sperm Whale watching in Kaikoura. We got to see 4 whales and some fur seals. We took the TransCostal train from Christchurch to Kaikoura, which was well worth the early rise of 5am.
The following day we took the transalpine train from Christchurch on the east coast to Greymouth on the west coast. In all the journey took about 5 hours. We passed through some amazing scenery. The trains are good here as they have an open carriage you can stand in. It is great for taking photos of the area as it wizzes passed.

While in Greymouth we visited a Shantytown and went panning for gold. Let's just say there is gold in them hills. We came away with a little amount of gold. Then we visited the Pancake rocks and blow holes in an area called Punakaiki. The sea sprays up through blow holes, as you maybe able to see in my photos.

The next day we went glow worm caving in a place called Charlestown. It is not quite a village. If you blinked you would miss it, it's that small. It was going to be New Zealands capital city at one stage 3,000 gold miners lived there, but when the gold ran out the miners left too and so did any hope of Charlestown becoming the capital city.

I had to navigate us back to the start of the cave, as the guide lets one of the group do so on the way back, and since there was only 2 of us, there was only a couple of choices. The guide said I did a good job and could be a guide.

---

Photos

Can you see the tail?
If not check out the next photo you can't miss it

Now you see it
this trip was amazing