Sorry everyone, our entries have been a while but we are now kind of settled..well its raining today so we decided to stay home and watch movies all day, shut ourselves in and veg out. So we now have time to update you all on our travels so far and to let you all in on our diary entries for the south island.
From the last entry we have travelled the south island, been skiing, tramped more, held glacier ice and tried to find jobs...here's more...
So after our crazy night with the Canadians in Wellington, staying in their hostel with them as the weather was awful outside and being the 'windest' city on the world we did not trust eliza's strength at staying upright all night! We get merry and crashed remembering to set our phone alarms for our 6am wakeup call. We hopped on the boat and sailed through the molborough sounds fjords into Picton. Beautiful voyage and worth the early morning wake up.
We drove through the most beautiful scenery seen yet and drove to the Abel Tasman National Park, we pitched our car in Old Macdonalds farm, ate some oranges and lemons from the trees around us and said hello to the lamas on site. We then needed to stretch our legs so went for a 3 hour trek (the first 3 hours of a 4 day famous tramp here), the first three hours were beautiful, turqouise/green beaches and breathtaking scenery all around. You could even be sat on the hot beach, watching the waves and looking over at snow capped mountains. Wow.
The next day was full of more driving, seal colonies, and our descent to the famous, Arthurs Pass. We had heard alot about this 100km pass and were very excited to drive through it. However, as usual for us, the rain came down with the snow and the wind so we were delayed all morning in a pub chatting for hours to a couple there with a few hot chocolates with marshmellows.
We decided we had to get to christchurch so braved the high pass in the rain and storm and made it to christchurch where we walked around the town and brought falafel kebabs. Chritschurch was a very cosmopolitan town, very wintery and with a real christmas feeling even months from it.
We spent the night in the local DOC campsite (100kms away) alone along this dark, gravel road...scary night as it rained so much we thought the car had to be flooded! We looked at the map and noticed that Mount Cook, the highest mountain in australasia was on our doorstep so we drove out of the campsite, passing snow caps all around, passing herds of sheep and with the windows down and the radio on, heading to Mount Cook.
On route to Mount Cook, eating crackers with marmite along the way, we spotted the most beautiful lake we have both ever seen. Lake Takepo. Possibly the most beautiful and inspiring place on earth. As we stood and look upon, our view was a small church, a cross, with the bluest lake, blue as the sky, and the whitest snow capped mountains surrounding it. Just an inspiring place. Wow.
Once we arrived at the base camp of Mount Cook, the mountain that Edmund Hilary practised his ascent to Mount Everest on, we experienced all 4 seasons. We arrived in sunshine, in heat, driving past more blue lakes and snow caps, every turn offering more and more. Once we parked it rained and we sat inside the car until it passed. Then as we started the 3 hour tramp to the ice glacier it snowed, and snowed and snowed so we decided that we would wait until the morning the do the walk as there were warnings on signs before we left about heavy snow fall. Tel managed to brace making dinner in the blistering wind and snow and cooked up a plate of noodles and peppers and a hot chocolate.
The night was the scariest of them all, the wind was so strong that we did not sleep a wink, at one point the car moved alot and we thought we were off for a flight! The next morning, after some porridge, we braved the trek to the glacier, it was still snowing but was a bright morning so was a nice walk. The Department of Conservation over here really make an effort with their natural wonders and we had to cross rope bridges and through small rivers to get there..it was a fun trek right under the mountains and past white water rivers. Once there it was stunning, Mount Cook and at the base, a huge ice glacier as well as the glacier lake surrounding it with big glacier break offs floating. We had to pick a piece up to say that we have held glacier ice before!
We left Mount Cook for Queenstown. Queenstown is a winter sports orientated town, with a very swiss feel. Full of skis, snowborders and winter hats, Queenstown had it all. After a few days without a shower (i know, disgusting, my hair was a matt of knots) we found the nearest swimming pool, showered and then spent the day in the spa pool looking out to the mountain range. What a place. We booked up beginners skiing and prepared for a day on the slopes.
We took a small bus to the mountain, Cadrona, we thought elisa might not make it up the snowy mountain with snow chains...and nor would my heart...and reached the summit, we walked to get our ski boots and our skis put all the gear on and headed for the slopes...tel was an immediate expert and started speeding down the slopes and I took the beginners classes we paid for and learnt from a professional expert. The day was fantastic, perfect blue sky, nice and warm and a fun day with no broken legs at the end of it. We were totally shattered after though so we brought some food and headed straight for the campsite and bed.
After Queenstown, we headed up through Wanaka and up to the Fox Glacier. It rained like we have never seen before the whole route, passing through tropical rainforest, mountains, desert and reached the Fox Glacier, where we put on our waterproofs and walked to see the glacier. Fascinating sight. We splashed out this night and stayed in a guesthouse, our own room, bathroom, kitchen and shower, thoroughly deserved. We spent the night watching sky (all 5 channels) and were offered 'videos' to watch (yes VHS) and relaxed as Terry had a big day climbing the Franz Josef glacier coming up.
While i spent the day, reading, sauna-ing, watching movies and relaxing, terry spent the day with a group of people climbing the Franz Josef, the biggest ice glacier in New Zealand. Cutting out blocks of ice to make steps and heading through ice tunnels and over ice bridges, the day was beautifully stunning and energetic.
Our drive back up to the north island took us back through Arthurs Pass, through the stunning mountains, waterfalls and green fields, and then to Kaikora where we went Dolphin spotting. We missed our chances of dolphins but came face to face with seals and made our way to Picton where we were ready to drive back to Wellington for our ascent to Auckland.
We are now staying with friends in Auckland, we have both been to interviews and we are looking for jobs. We both cannot wait to get jobs so we can get our own place and settle alittle. Samba classes start this week and the summer here begins!
