[Kaka Point, New Zealand] There was a ‘berg’ wind last night. Our first warm night meant we could sleep without our beanies. The morning was dead calm, overcast and warm but it didn’t last long. The mission for the day was to explore the Otago Peninsula before heading south again. We drove to the top of the peninsula to see Lanarch Castle (the only castle in New Zealand) but turned around at the gate when we saw the entry fee just to get into the grounds. Ridiculous.

Back on the coastal route we went as far as the road would take us, Taiaroa head and the Royal Albatross Centre (again too expensive for us). We took a short walk in the now gale force and freezing winds to the view point. A great view of the sea cliffs, light house and tonnes of kelp in the water would have been better if it wasn’t so windy. The fields around here are full of cute bunnies – another pest that was introduced and has caused havoc.

Crossing the peninsula and a few more gravel roads got us to the deserted (probably because of the weather) Allan’s beach. Once over the farm fence we were joined by a little black pig. He (or she) wouldn’t leave us alone and followed us all the way down the trail to the beach. We were on the beach to see some sea lions but the beach, although beautiful, was empty. V spotted a moving ‘rock’ in the distance and we took a walk with piggie still on our heels. We were able to get up reasonably close to three large sea lions that were just chilling on the beach. Sweet. They looked very relaxed and were not bothered by us at all. Back at the van we fed piggie a peach and made our escape as two surfers (yes, in that cold water) arrived.

Next on the list was Sandfly Bay and the possibility of more sea lions. As we arrived it started raining so we decided to skip the 80 minute round trip walk to the beach. I guess we should mention sandflies. They are the pest to fear here (much worse than a mozzie) but so far we have only seen a couple. Apparently there are a lot more on the west coast. I’m nervous already.

That was it for Dunedin and the peninsula. We headed straight out onto the Southern Scenic Route (which for some odd reason leads you out of town through a bunch of boring suburbs). The weather wasn’t really helping but at least we got an entire beach to ourselves for lunch near Brighton.

The route kinks inland for a while through more farmland and forests and then rejoins the coast. By 3pm we were both feeling tired and had had enough of the bad weather so we pulled into a campsite at Kaka Point. A sign on the office door stated ‘Back later. Find a campsite and settle up in the morning’. No argument from us. We found a great little nook in the trees, perfect for an afternoon nap. Here’s hoping the weather clears tomorrow.

[Pictures: Simmie in the middle – with piggie and sea lion. Lonely sea lion chilling on the beach. Lunch view with a beach to ourselves]

– Posted from my iPhone via 3G

[Otago Peninsula, New Zealand] Our first overcast day so far. The sun was trying, but not being very successful. Thats OK though as we had a long list of things to do in nearby Dunedin that were mostly indoors.

First up was the train station. The Flemish renaissance style building was actually very nice and very English despite its official classification. We wandered in, took some snaps, bypassed the sporting legends museum before having a look around the weekly farmers market set up at the end of a platform. It was mostly local produce and a couple of buskers including a trio of belly dancing hippies. We decided to try the local beef and picked up some rib eye steaks before hurrying onto our appointment with Cadbury World.

Cadbury’s factory has been in Dunedin in some form or other for over a hundred years. Unfortunately the factory section was closed (it being the weekend) but there was still some interesting bits to see. We were taken around by an enthusiastic young Kiwi with pockets full of chocolate that he dispensed in return for correct answers to his Chocolate trivia questions. It kept us on our toes. The highlight of the tour was the chocolate fountain where one ton of liquid chocolate is poured down the centre of the inside of a disused storage silo, then pumped back up for the next tour group. It serves no other purpose than our entertainment. Would have liked to have been in the meeting when they came up with that idea. Apparently the ton of chocolate repeats it’s show for a year by which time things inside the silo get decidedly gross. The year old goo then goes off to some very lucky pigs on a farm somewhere while some unlucky cleaners have to abseil into the silo with high pressure cleaning equipment.

We were also introduced to Jaffas, our new favorite nibble plus some interesting free choccies that we have not seen before (perky nanas, chewys and chocolate fish). We left the building with a huge packet full of chocolate which I’m sure will not last very long. The Jaffas barely made it back to the campsite (there were 6 left in the packet).

After the tour we headed for the centre of town along the way getting sidetracked by some bicycle and outdoor gear shops. How can the same Icebreaker T-shirt Simon bought in the UK possibly be more expensive in NZ where it is made?

The empty city centre was a little slice of Scotland with buildings trying hard to give the city a distinguished history. This country was the very last place to be colonized by people and so most of the historical buildings are only slightly more than a hundred years old. The city was also pretty empty. It’s mostly students that live here and there aren’t too many of them about during the holidays. The remainder of the towns population seemed to be at the supermarket we visited to pick up some supplies.

The Otago museum was excellent. Well laid out, lots to look at, few people and best of all free. Though we did make a donation to the stuffed moa at the entrance. We could have spent half a day there.

Our very last sight was Baldwin street. The worlds steepest street according to the Guinness book of records. At over 30 degrees we decided not to stress our Vanette and elected to walk to the top instead. It’s steep! Would not like to live on this street though Sim says it would be fun to ride a bike down (not up).

The weather turned all drizzly and as we drove along the scenic route along the Peninsula to our caravan park we lamented the fact that we forgot to take pictures of the pretty harbor when the sun was out yesterday. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.

Back at our campsite (more like a car park) Sim cooked us the most mouthwatering, fantastic meal so far. Steak, mash and corn on the cob. Marvelous. NZ beef has turned out to be streaks ahead of the dismal stuff we gave up trying to eat in the UK. Sim of course is taking full advantage of his hero status. He is a wonderful cook and I don’t mind doing the dishes. In typical fashion, as we settled down for the evening, the sun finally came out.

[Pictures: No photos allowed inside Cadbury’s – so this I our new number 1 munchie. Dunedin city centre looking very Scottish? What’s wrong with these two pics Baldwin Street?]

– Posted from my iPhone via 3G

[Dunedin, New Zealand] The only noise to wake us out in the Domain were the sheep – fantastic spot to camp.

We started the day off with a pot wash behind the van and after our standard breakfast (tea, fruit and cereal) headed off towards Dunedin. The drive crisscrossed the Otago rail trail all day. Looks like a cool (and easy) bike trail to ride – maybe someday.

On a recommendation from a friend of Ingrid’s we stopped off at the Hayes Engineering Works. A small farmstead with a preserved machine shop and residence. The Hayes family started here way back (1880 odd) and are still manufacturing bits and bobs for farmers. Everything from gate hinges to windmill parts. The entire workshop is run by overhead pulleys, belts and wheels that were originally driven by a 6m windmill (later changed to a water wheel). It was sooo cool – lathes, drills, presses, grinders, hacksaws all driven by brilliantly designed belts. Boxes full of bits and pieces. Nothing went to waste. They spin up all the machinery for tours but only on certain days – unfortunately not today. In any event it was well worth the cost of admission.

The next ‘town’ on our route was Naseby. Another little ghost town with some cool old buildings and a few vintage cars. We popped into the museum – a random collection of random things obviously collected from local families. V had read that ‘Curling’ is big in Naseby. Hard to believe (the place is tiny) but sure enough we found a year round indoor curling rink with outdoor (winter only) luge and ice hockey rink. Incredibly odd. We popped inside the rink to find Kiwi, Auzzie and Japanese teams getting ready for an international junior tournament… in Naseby!?

We drove on through Middle March and past the end of the rail trail. Flat, straight roads turned to windy hills as we approached Mosgiel where we found the first traffic light since leaving Christchurch. Road works meant that large sections of road were a mixture of loose gravel and wet tar. What a mess on our little van. By the time we got to Dunedin we were getting tired and skipped through town in search of a campsite on the Otago Peninsula. It was a beautiful drive out along a windy coastal road and the weather was perfect but eager to find a campsite we didn’t stop to take photos (someday we’ll learn). The site at Portabello Bay was a bit like a parking lot. We are missing the open space of a free campsite in the middle of nowhere but a hot shower is always welcome.

BTW: The delay in posting is due to fact that cell phone reception has been terrible. Seems the country is not well covered at all – I suppose what’s the point when there are only 6 people in a town!

[Pictures: V sneaking a pot wash behind the van and our Domain campsite. Tractor and automates hack-saw at the engineering works. Yip, it’s a Curling Rink]

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[St. Bathans, New Zealand] Back on the road earlyish today after refueling. The little van is consuming just under 10l of petrol per 100km and with fuel costing around R10.30 per litre it is more expensive than we had hoped. First stop of the day was another LOTR location. This time the scene of the ‘Flight to the Ford’ where Arowen is taking Frodo to Rivendale and is being chased through the trees by the black riders. We found the place but could not get to it. Private land as part of the Tarras vineyard. One of these days we’ll get onto a location !

A short snack at Lake Dunstan and then into Cromwell. The ‘historic’ part of town was truly dismal. The few old buildings that exist where relocated from the original town centre before it was flooded as part of the hydro dam. The end result does not look very authentic but still better than the massive (and massively cheesy) fruit salad outside the new town centre. V had read that this is THE place to get fresh produce but we had no luck and ended up at the supermarket (biggest building in town) to stock up – they didn’t even have chives, but we splurged on some lamb chops and had a friendly chat with the cashier on the way out (almost all of the Kiwis we have met have been very friendly).

This area is full of gold rush towns. Most are now ghost towns or tourists spots on the Otago Central Rail Trail (a 150km long bicycle route along a decommissioned railway line). We stopped in at Clyde. A very quaint single street town with some delightful old buildings. Most have been converted to bike shops (servicing the rail trail), restaurants and guest houses.

Next up was Omakau and an old (1880) suspension bridge near Ophir. Ophir was another surprise. As old as old can get in New Zealand the tiny town also holds the record for the lowest temperature recorded in NZ, -22 deg C. Lucky for us it was sunny and warm so we stopped for lunch at the suspension bridge.

Last stop for the day was another gold rush boom and bust town. Saint Bathans (Population 6) has a picturesque Blue Lake that has gone a little green. The lake is man made – a result of the gold mining. We took a stroll from the ‘Vulcan Hotel’ (how cool) down to the lake and took some shots around the towns preserved buildings before heading to the campsite.

The ‘domain’ near town is just a public space that can be used for camping free of charge. We arrived in the huge tree spotted field to find two other groups there along with a tap and the cleanest long-drop toilet in the world (complete with loo paper).

I have to mention dinner. Up till now it’s just been regular camp food. Tins, noodles, pasta-n-sauce, that kind of thing. Tonight we had mash potatoes with chili and lamb chops. Simple but unbelievably awesome for camp food. Just wish we could have had a braai – no fires allowed.

[Pictures: Giant fruit salad outside Cromwell. The suspension bridge near Ophir and the man made lake at St Bathans]

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[Omarama, New Zealand] Another chilly night this time at the foot of Mount Cook and being a basic campsite there were no nice warm showers to wake us up. No problem – we packed up and cruised into the village where the ‘Public Shelter’ has a fully equipped kitchen, dining area and hot showers (hot for small fee). It seems impossible not to find decent camping facilities in this country.

The overcast conditions sent us into the visitor’s centre to check out the exhibits. Very impressive. From the history of the mountain, it’s explorers and climbers to animal and geological exhibits. A true wealth of information, well presented in a perfect location, and best of all, free. One of the interesting factoids was the 14 million tonne collapse of rock near the summit in 1991 that reduced the height of the mountain by a good 10m. We then wandered over to the Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre. Another excellent free exhibit (with optional extras at a price). Plenty of Everest and Antarctic memorabilia and information. Hillary opened the centre shortly before his death in 2008 and the life-sized bronze at the entrance is a reminder of what a hero he was to New Zealand.

With the weather clearing (just a little) we headed to the Tasman glacier and another short walk. In the parking lot we noticed a group with photographers, models and lots of outdoor gear. The brand ‘The Red Face’ is new to us, but by the look of the director and photographers it is Asian.

V led us to the ‘Blue Lakes’. A set of small lakes that have turned green (maybe they need some chlorine). We followed the trail along the edge of the first lake to get to the others but it quickly disappeared in thick thorn bushes. Not wanting to give up we bashed our way through eventually heading up the scree slopes to ridge and then back to rejoin the main path the the Tasman glacier. It was an unnecessary mission. We should have guessed when we saw all the other walkers heading directly for the glacier. The Tasman glacier is the largest in New Zealand but is again covered by debris on the lower sections so it looks like a rock slide with a white face. From our vantage point above the glacial lake it looked impressive but we are both itching to get a heli ride up high onto a snowy white glacier. We’re saving that for the Fox glacier on the other side on the Alps in a couple of weeks.

All tramped out for the morning we climbed in the van and headed for Twizel. Our routine at the moment seems to be: leave camp at 10am, spend the day driving, walking etc and then find another camp around 5pm. It’s working well for now but we may need a break at some point.

Before Twizel we went out looking for another LOTR shooting location – the ‘Plains of Rohan’. It must been some distance off the road because we could not find it – I’m sure we were close.

More driving got us in the area of Omarama. V had read about some cool looking clay cliffs close to town so we went looking for them. More gravel roads led us to a farm gate with appropriate signage. The entry fee was NZ$5 (£2.50) payable in town but there was also an ‘honesty box’ (an old ice-cream container) on the gate post with at least NZ$50 in it ! We could not believe it. Imagine that in Africa, or even in the UK. The cold wind and cloudy sky was not great so we didn’t stay long, but the cliffs did look very cool (BTW you can see them at a distance from the main road if you don’t want to pay or ride on dirt roads).

Heading into Omarama we passed a large airfield full of gliders and a couple old style bi-planes. This area is known for gliding and there are lots of tour operators charging a fortune to take tourists up (not today I’m sure with this weather). We checked into the only campsite in town. And a top rated 5 star one at that. Again excellent facilities in a pleasant setting. Not too busy and wonderfully tranquil. This is just too easy (if only the WiFi was free).

[Pictures: Hillary looking out to Mt Cook. One of the Blue/Green Lakes. Clay Cliff. Another great campsite]

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[Mount Cook, New Zealand] At last. I woke up feeling more or less ‘normal’. What a huge relief after the discomfort of the past 10 days. We packed up early, paid the NZ$2 each for a shower and left the campsite as quickly as possible.

First up was a walk up to the Mount John Observatory overlooking Lake Tekapo. It was a pleasant stroll up a gradual path through pine forest. It only took around 45 minutes to climb the 300 odd vertical meters to the summit where we were met by a car park and the Observatory. The signs indicated that it is part of the University of Canterbury Physics Department – pretty cool setup with at least 5 instrument domes and a convenient coffee shop. The weather was perfect (maybe a little cool) and the views endless from the store patio but the angle of the sunlight made the lake look less blue. V and I sat a while and took a few snaps before heading back down the same path now busier with young and old walkers (‘busy’ in NZ means you can see more than 3 people if you look in any direction).

There were two small attractions on the shore of lake Tekapo that we wanted to catch before heading out. The first is a monument to the local Collie’s without whom sheep farmers would have had to do a lot more work. These ones are well trained Mom. Finally a tiny old stone church perched on the shore. A wedding was in progress surrounded by bus loads of Asian tourists. Maybe not the best choice of venue – guess it made for good photos. A quick stop at the shops – this time for essentials and beer (water is getting boring) and we hit the road.

The first time you come around a bend and spot Mount Cook seemingly rising from lake Pukaki…WOW. We won’t forget that for a long time to come. Following the length of the 30km long lake we frequently pulled into viewpoints to ogle and take photos. The lake eventually turned to a vast sprawl of intertwined tributaries as Mount Cook started to fill the windscreen. The ranger on duty at the stunning visitors centre was a friendly chap who immediately warned us that the weather was expected to change in the morning. He recommended getting to the campsite and out on the trail today. We heeded his warning and set off for the campsite. The site is classed as a ‘Basic’ which means running water (that may need boiling) and toilets. Not the most picturesque site – basically a large dusty parking lot but the sign in procedure was a novelty. You take a bag and receipt from a box. Put your fee inside and deposit it in a drop box. Can you imagine that working in Africa !?

We started out on the Hooker glacier hike around 3pm (they estimate a 3 hour round trip and it is light until 22h00 at the moment). The immaculate trail crossed over two huge pedestrian suspension bridges that were nothing like the rickety bridges we have been on in Asia. Low lying sections were raised on wooden walkways and areas where rockfall could be a problem were protected with steel mesh. Mount Cook popped out as we rounded a bend to add to the beauty of the glaciers to our left. The Hooker glacier (when we eventually reached the lake at it’s base) looks more like a large rock slide with an icy front face. We walked a little further towards the glacier passing huge icebergs in the muddy looking lake before stopping for a quick snack. After absorbing the surroundings for a few minutes we started back past some looney Kiwis taking a dip in the glacial lake. By the time we got back to camp we were knackered with the sun and exercise having taken it’s toll. Still daylight we watched the Moon rise over a glacier before retreating to our van. Early to bed for us tonight after another amazing day in New Zealand.

[Pictures: Looking out from Mt John Obeservatory. The Collie monument. A first glimpse of Mt Cook in the distance. Mount Cook – beautiful]

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[Mount Cook, New Zealand] So it’s been a long time since we last posted and our longest break from the blog since we left. Oops. I have a good excuse. For the first 10 days of the New Year I was suffering from a nasty case of food poisoning and was almost clinically dead. It was not fun at all but I am finally feeling ‘normal’ again and will get on top of the backlog soon. At the moment V and I are hunkered down for the night in our tiny little van at the foot the Huddle-stone glacier (a short hike from Mount Cook).

We have uploaded photos to around 4 Jan but they have not been tagged (and won’t be until Feb). Keep an eye out for posts above and below. More adventure coming soon as long as we have credit on our Sim card 🙂

– Posted from my iPhone via 3G

[Lake Tekapo, New Zealand] Another freezing night but it was marginally better with the rear door closed. We had no idea it would be so cold here. It’s an odd climate that we are battling to acclimatize too. It has been very sunny, even hot, but as soon as the wind starts it is freezing. We seem to spend a lot of time putting our fleeces on and off. Guess we’ll get used to it sometime soon.

After breaking camp we headed into Peel forest for two short walks, the first to ‘the Big Tree’ – a 3m wide monster but still small compared to what we have seen in Borneo. The second trail was out to Acland falls. A very small waterfall at the end of a mossy and atmospheric gully. The walk was taxing for me as I’m still feeling weak and the cold wind on sweat did not feel at all comfortable. Out walking we have noticed that these Kiwis all walk in trainers or boots (even on 30minute long trails) – guess they are not as tough as advertised – we’re still in strops.

Back on the road we headed on south. Geraldine is a larger village with the chance for some shopping. We dropped the van off for a minor repair to the power socket (we thought it was a fuse, but with no manual it was impossible to tell) and went shopping across the street. The shop contained every wool, merino and possum product known to man (willy warmers included). V got herself a new beanie (remember she lost hers in Norway) and we picked up a decent road atlas. The road atlas provided some annoying insights – yesterday we were not at lake Clearwater, but rather at the recreational lake next to it. Also further down the same gravel road was the LOTR filming location for Edoras – we should have recognized those snow covered peaks behind rolling brown grasslands yesterday ! Oh well. V is now very happy with her new map and we’ll be sure to catch a lot more sights.

We passed through a bunch of mini villages including the cutely name ‘Fairlie’ on our way to lake Tekapo, our destination for the day. The viewpoint at the entrance to the village was inspiring. A huge cyan lake stretched out before us with cloud covered mountains to the right. The campsite was crowded (by our new standards) and expensive due to the coin operated showers. Some industrious campers had moved the site numbers around so that they could have a better campsite, the end result being that we ended up on someone else’s site. It was more than a little frustrating. We took a short walk along the lakeside but decided to call it a day and start fresh in the morning with a hike up to the Mount John Observatory.

[Pictures: A view of Lake Tekapo]

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[Peel Forest, New Zealand] Last night was freezing! Both in our thermals and under a blanket and a duvet and we were still cold. Seems the add on tent extension was not so good for keeping in the heat. Will try without it tonight. After a very late start, we said goodbye to the excellent little campsite and drove off down the road (my turn to drive). It was beautiful sunny clear weather. About 200m away we parked and took off on our first walk in NZ, or tramp as the Kiwis call them. It was a pleasant stroll along the edge of the gorge to the viewpoint with a great view of the gorge and the mountains behind it.

Our next stop was to get some supplies. I of course thought I knew the way and without consulting the GPS set off down the road only to realize some 10kms later that my sense of direction can and does go wrong and we had to do some minor backtracking to get back on route.

We made it eventually to Methven the nearest town with shops. It seemed practically a ghost town, mostly filled with ski shops that were closed. Guess it doesn’t get a lot of business in the summer. The supermarkets were open though.

We set off next for Clearwater lake, for no other reason than the fact that it sounded nice. The snow covered mountains in the distance on the way to the lake looked promising, but the lake itself turned out to be a little dull for us. It was very clear just like the name suggests. It was also crawling with boats. Mostly pulling kids behind them on the modern equivalent of rubber tubes. Since we don’t own a boat and have no interest in water skiing, we had a very late lunch and decided to move on.

Scanning the map and checking the LP for somewhere not too far away to stop over, we found a reference to Peel Forest, a scenic park amidst the remnants of some old forest that managed to escape being chopped down. We headed there and are glad we did. It’s a large but nice campsite. A pre dinner stroll took us through some pleasant forest and we are looking forward to some walks in the woods tomorrow.

[Pictures: Rakaia Gorge and on the road out to Clearwater lake with snowy mountains in the background]

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[Rakaia Gorge, New Zealand] It’s finally arrived – the start of our road trip. We are not used to being in one place for so long. John and Ingrid arranged a huge fry-up breakfast to send us on our way and thankfully I was feeling up to eating. We piled our gear into the van, waved our goodbyes and headed off north. Within a few minutes we were out of the Christchurch suburbs and on the open road.

We had no real plan but the general idea was to get onto the Inland Scenic route and then head South. After a couple hours we pulled into a campsite Oxford just to see what it was like. It was just about empty with immaculate facilities and manicured lawns. After a quick nibble we set off again. The scenery was beautiful and changeable. The flat (very flat) Canterbury plains are intersected by pristine rivers and to the North deep gorges carve their way to the Southern Alps. Farm fields are divided by huge ‘hedge rows’ – pine trees trimmed perfectly into large rectangular blocks to act as wind breaks (and you need those here). These guys even trim the tree tops to make them look square!

The roads were very good and pretty much deserted all day. For ‘main’ roads they do seem small and the ‘Single Lane’ bridges are unexpected on national highways. At one bridge we stopped to have a look. Clean milky water looked so foreign and stunning with a backdrop of grey stone. We spotted a couple of canoes and a jet-boat (that looks like fun). We passed a number of smaller villages (less than 30 seconds at 60km/h) and then headed onto a dirt road to see lake Coleridge. We drove around the empty picnic sites and past the hydro power station (some 70%+ of NZ’s power is hydro). The climb took us onto roads and through farm gates – not sure if it was allowed but here were no signs. The lake was unbelievable. A cobalt blue expanse, completely deserted (The cell phone photo doesn’t do it justice). Climbing down off the roof of the van (after taking some pics), I got hooked up by my shirt on the antennae – I no longer have a hole free shirt… V’s got some sewing to do 🙂

After 220km we decided to stop at a campsite in Rakaia gorge near Mount Hut (the nearest ski resort, in winter, to Christchurch). The campsite was brilliant. A friendly manager ushered us towards a 100m stretch of river front just for us. Not a single patch of hard, dusty soil – super soft manicured grass along the entire length. Ablutions were as good as home and our little van based facilities let us cook a basic meal.

We couldn’t have wished for a better start to the trip.

[Pictures: Milky waters, Lake Coleridge and the view from our campsite WOW]

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[Christchurch, New Zealand] Time to stop lying in bed and get a move on with our New Zealand tour now. Still feeling very wonky so I wasn’t looking forward to going to fetch our mini camper-van but everything was booked so no choice there. We were both a little worried about what we had booked since the company ‘Rental Car Village’ is almost 50% cheaper than any other company out there – and we checked every single one! We were presented with a Nissan Vannette. A tiny (but big enough) converted minivan. Automatic gearbox, electric windows, central locking, air con (won’t be needing that) and 135 000 odd km on the clock. It has a few dents and scratches but is otherwise in excellent condition. The rear is kitted out with pull-out double bed, gas stove and a small storage unit/preparation table. We thought it was brilliant. All the accessories (pots, pans, plates, rear tent extension) looked brand new. What a win!

Leaving John behind we hooked up V’s phone running Tomtom (GPS) and gingerly headed out of the parking area to find a shop. It’s been 7 months since we drove in Norway and over a year since doing any real driving so we were both nervous. NZ has an odd ‘Right of Way’ rule at intersections that was stressing us even more but we managed okay. It did feel completely foreign.

The plan was simple. Get cash, a local Sim card and supplies for the first few days on the road. Well the first two went well. We even got a complimentary Sim card from the friendly lady at the Vodafone shop (usually they are NZ$30). Shopping for supplies turned out to be another story. I was starting to feel ill again and the immense ‘Pack and Save’ store in front of us was making me dizzy. There is too much choice here and not having done food shopping for 8 months wasn’t helping. What we would have given for our ‘Tesco online’ favorite items list! We gave up and left the store with very few supplies and hoping that the smaller shops outside town would be less daunting.

The GPS got us efficiently back to Ingrid and John’s place where we had a good chance to inspect the van. Rachel thought it was brilliant (She spent ages playing inside). We agree. Tomorrow morning we’ll throw our packs in, steal some linen and camp furniture and head off into the wild.

[Pictures: The little shell on our backs for the next 4 weeks]

– Posted from my iPhone via 3G

[Christchurch, New Zealand] No, the title is not a LOTR reference, we’ve been guests now for 5 days with Ingrid and John in Christchurch. All the comforts of home plus real tea and normal (ie. excellent) food pretty much non-stop. I have unfortunately spent most of in bed with aches and fever so have not been able to enjoy the hospitality but am very thankful for being this ill here and not in the middle of some third world dump. A few evenings ago I could not bear it any longer and John kindly took me in to a 24 hour medical centre. The UK passport got me a 50% discount on the usual ‘foreigner’ consult rate but it was still expensive – I didn’t care. Nursing staff took my vitals and after a wait V and I got to see a Doctor. We were not too impressed. He didn’t really listen to us and was not interested in the possibility of malaria or dengue. Turns out he thought Borneo was in Spain and therefore I was not at risk! Oh well. I guess we got the guy who finished last in his class that year.

Eager to show off Christchurch, and get out a little during their vacation, Ingrid and John took us out around town. Up the Christchurch gondola for a picnic and huge 360deg views of the city and surrounding topography. From there we cruised around some of the sea-side villages and beaches as far as ‘Taylor’s Mistake’ (haha). At one point we noticed a road sign saying ‘No Cruising’. John explained it was for the ‘Boy Racers’. New Zealand is apparently plagued by kids with pimped out ‘race’ cars – sounds just like Pretoria/Chatsworth except in NZ they can start driving at 15! Our first overall impressions of the place: it’s colder and windier than expected, everything is spotlessly clean, everyone is friendly and the Canterbury beaches are rubbish 🙂

V went out with the crew on another outing while I stayed in bed. They visited Willowbank nature reserve (or zoo) where she got to see a Wallaby and a Kiwi. The kids (Rachel and Cloe) just love the place, being able to feed the tame eels and farm animals is far more fun than watching an endangered kiwi bolt along a fence.

I was able to drag myself out of bed for another excursion later in the week but was really not feeling great. We did a tour around the old French colonial area of Akaroa and the Banks peninsula. Very scenic. Very quaint. The French landed there just a few days after the British took control of NZ. Unusually for these two nations they were able to sort things out amicably and the French stayed on. On the way home we pulled over at a road-side farm-stall selling the most amazing cherries I have ever seen. V bought a huge punnet accompanied by a big grin 🙂

Other than that, V has been nursing me back to health and just enjoying being in a wonderful spot with good friends and catching up. She got a couple chances to go shopping with Ingrid for basics and she is impressed with the variety. Sizes seem ‘American’ and prices are very ‘British’. The Marmite does not taste quite right though. The parks and streets around the area seem very peaceful and feel empty – I guess compared to South East Asia it is !

We have to say a huge ‘THANK YOU’ to Ingrid, John and the girls for being so generous with everything. Internet connection, tea, roast lamb, biscuits, potjie, tea, pasta, cereal, tea, hot showers, home baked biscuits, and did I mention tea ? It has been an awesome place to be stuck in bed 🙂 Rachel also seemed to take delight in learning something new, that eating a hamburger can make you sick and was very concerned for me. I think I’m her favorite as I definitely got asked more times than V to go jumping on the trampoline with her. It will be hard to leave here in a couple of days.

BTW. Some time during the week (on the 5th actually), we passed the 8 Months on the Road mark. I was too sick to notice. V, too busy 🙂

[Pictures: Going up on the gondola and me getting yet another haircut. More pics in the linked gallery and even more when we next get a chance to upload]

– Posted from my iPhone via 3G

(more…)

We wish everyone an amazing 2011.
Not sure how we’ll top 2010 but we’re going to give it our best shot 🙂

[Gold Coast, Australia] With me as a walking zombie our concern at getting into Australia shifted from the possibility of mud specs on our shoes to the thought of me being quarantined for carrying some bizarre disease. V propped me up and I put on the best possible face for immigration. Phew. No problems and they were incredibly pleasant and polite. The quarantine officials just asked us what we wanted to declare – some instant tea sachets, chopsticks (wood) and some marie biscuits – no problem, they waved us through without the hassle of emptying our packs. Another relief but after all that effort cleaning our shoes they could have checked 🙂

It was great to be back in the world of toasted ham and cheese sarmies, fresh milk and taps that dispense free water that you can drink, but I was still completely out of it. We (I tried) to have a little nibble for breakfast. R140 for two toasted sarmies – yikes ! That’s the first world we know. With 10 hours to wait for our next flight we found some empty benches and made ourselves at home. Immaculate ablutions (hot and cold running water) were yet another good sign. The soft toys we had got for Ingrid’s kids (V’s buddy in Christchurch) proved to be excellent pillows and we both had a chance to catch up on a little sleep.

I always pictured that the Auzzies were all slim and athletic but looks like ‘the good life’ is getting the better of them. With miserable weather outside and me now with aches and fever we decided against taking the 10 minute walk to the beach. We just sat it out as V took excellent care of me. Not the ideal way to spend New Year’s day. Don’t worry Oz. We’ll be back.

Our Air New Zealand flight in the evening was excellent. Wonderful staff. Tasty (apparently) Food. Snazzy and comfortable new plane with tonnes of entertainment. Pity I was still writhing in a ball. It was a short hop to Christchurch (3 hours) and getting in to New Zealand proved to be as easy as Australia, although we were asked if we had a tent in our packs -um… How on earth would that fit ?!

V’s friends had offered to collect us at the airport…at midnight on New Years Day! Now that’s hospitality. “Hellos”, a cup of tea and I was tucked into bed as V spent some time catching up with Ingrid and John. It was a VERY long and painful trip to get to Middle Earth. Good thing it’s over, now just to get well and get out on our quest to return that pesky Ring. Hang on. That’s not right. We’re just exploring 🙂

[Pictures: Mmm chocolate milk at Gold Coast Airport]

– Posted from my iPhone via 3G