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February 1st 2006

Published: March 2nd 2006

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Pip Williams

Punting on the Avon

Jonny and I started with a few days in Christchurch before we went and picked up our little campervan. So I dragged Jonny on a punt of the River Avon after a scone (only joking it was a muffin), round an arts centre, cathedral and the Botanical Gardens ....Hmm am thinking I should join the National Trust on my return to the UK!
On picking up the van, we did a massive supermarket shop follwed by managing to navigate our way out of Christchurch and down to the Banks Peninsula to a town called Akaroa, orginally established by the French and very proud of that too! We went on a boat trip out of the Peninsula to look for dolphins, grey NZ seals and blue penguins and luckily managed to find a pod of dolphins so as you can imagine I was a very happy girl - my photos aren't that great though. After that Jonny and I did quite a long drive to Lake Tekapo driving through the Canterbury Plains (flat farming land) and up towards the Southern Alps and where we were quite suprised by the view it was very beautifull!
The following day we headed on towards Mt

Me being lazy

Cook, via a salmon farm (yummy smoked salmon) and did our first night of rough camping (only loos, no water or showers etc) at the Department of Convservations grounds (DOC) at the base of Mt Cook and did a three hour walk up the Hooker Valley to some glacial lakes. That night a few Kea (mountain parrotts) decided to join our van by sitting on the roof, bit of a shock but there were lots about making lots of noise! In the morning we did a small walk up to Kea Point to see if we could see Mt cook behind the clouds. It wasn't until our return to the campsite when the sky began to clear and we had the most fabulous views so we decided to go to the smart Hermitage Hotel and admire them over a coffee, we then headed on to Queenstown.

PS Forgot to mention that I became an Aunt to Clementine Williams born whilst I was in Adelaide. Parents and Clemmie all doing well!

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