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Sept
10-14 Sept
15-17 Sept
24 - Oct 2 Oct
4-11 Oct
16-20 Oct
24-28 Nov
27 - Dec 5 NEW ZEALAND Jan
2-7 Jan
8-12 Jan
13-19 Jan
30-Feb 4 Feb
4-11 Feb
12-19 Feb
20-27
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January 30 to
February 4 -
South Island Lewis Pass, Christchurch, Kaikoura
Left Greymouth on the west coast this morning and headed for the east coast via the Lewis Pass. This is quite unlike the route through the Arthur Pass which was our previous east-west traverse across the island. Arthur Pass is all about massive mountains and going up, up, up ...then down, down, down. Lewis Pass follows a meandering course along a succession of rivers so we were almost constantly in a valley looking up. Much easier on a vehicle and it’s brakes, that’s for sure. A very pleasant drive, but not one you would write up as “spectacular” as you would the Arthur Pass route. Shortly after
we passed the
town of Stillwater,
we came on a
very tall, round,
brick chimney.
This marks the
Brunner Mine
Site, an old
You can visit
the mine site
by crossing an
old suspension
bridge and are
welcome to poke
around. There
are two mine
shafts, both
are boarded up
and you are warned
not to enter,
although Steve
noted that someone
had torn a hole
through the barrier
so they could
go in. Breaking
into an old mine
shaft full of
gas and water
...and the grave
of 69 mine already?
Sounds brilliant. What was brilliant were the most beautiful orangey-red flowers lining the road down to the mine. Other than that, the route is somewhat unremarkable, travelling along riverbeds, the foothills an ongoing unfolding of burnt golden scrub. Most of New
Zealand is rural
in nature, so
people have mailboxes
out at the road.
Most driveways
sport the standard
issue post box
but now and again
we'd see something
that expressed
the owners Travelling through the Lewis Pass we came on two sets of thermal hot springs, one at Maruia Springs, the other at Hanmer Springs. The latter are located in a resort town of the same name. In terms of thrills and chills, Maruia Springs has lots to offer, all at big prices. When we were there the temps were pushing 40 degrees ...and yet people were flocking to the gates of the thermal pools, suits on, towels slung over their shoulders. Didn’t seem like a great plan for the day, but perhaps there is something I am missing. Stinking hot day – stinking hot thermal pools? We stopped in for ice cream cones and carried on. Tonight we are booked into a Top Ten at the north end of Christchurch. This is a very busy locale, tons of cabins and campervans. A group of musicians gathered in the outdoor dining area and were happily playing Celtic style music. As the evening wore on, the numbers grew with additional fiddles, guitars, a squeezebox, a flute. Lovely sound, wafting through the open window of my cabin here. Tomorrow we are heading for the Antarctica Centre and then downtown Christchurch. Christchurch Since the 1950s, Christchurch has been the base for the US Antarctic program which flies out of Christchurch airport for their base at McMurdo. As well, the Kiwis have their own installation there at Scott base. Over 140 flights per year are made between Christchurch and these bases. The Antarctic
Centre explores
what it is like
to live and work
in the Antarctic – lots
of They also have a Hägglunds Ride, which is a jaunt in the five-ton tracked buggy that is used to get around in Antarctica. You strap in and they take you back and forth over a mud course, up and down very steep inclines, traverse man-made crevasses, float in mudholes, etc. Steve said it was hoaky but I thought it was fun and probably a pretty good simulation of travel over bumpy, broken icefields.
We had lunch in the cafe there ...by the time we got there it was 2:00 and all the hot stuff looked pretty “held over” and dried out. I expect it is better if you go at lunchtime. My cold tuna sandwich was very good and only $4.95. Drove into town
after that and
found free parking
on Glo We walked up
to Cathedral
Square. This
is the ‘centre’ of
town so to speak,
with a myriad
of major streets
converging there.
There is a large
and reasonably
attractive cathedral
as well as a
large, open square
with leafy trees,
gardens and lots
of places to
sit. There is
an ongoing chess
game with a giant
chess set, a
resident public
speaker and a
The Visitors Centre is also here and we were looking for information on accomodations in Wellington. We called our regular Top Ten 0-800 number and were told that Wellington was basically sold out because it was not only a long weekend, but the Wellington Sevens, an important rugby tournament. Sure enough, everywhere we called was sold out ...including bunks in youth hostels. We will arrive
in Wellington
at 5 pm on Saturday.
We could keep
driving north
and get beyond
the weekend visitors
and the fully-booked
accommodations,
but that would
mean missing
Wellington and
we had promised
ourselves a good
visit on our
return through
here. So we persist
working our way
through accommodation
listings, and
finally find
an opening about
40 minutes out
of the CBD. Good
enough. We carry on walking through Christchurch, dodging tourist trams and crazy drivers. They give you no quarter, these Kiwis. Nice people but without doubt the most aggressive drivers I have come across anywhere in the world thus far. There’s
a more peaceful
scene down on
the Avon River
as old-fashioned
punters pole
tourists down
the Avon River
...there seem
to be no lack
of customers We walk past the shiny new art gallery. In a city that is built in Gothic-style weathered stone and looks, for the most part, like a turn-of-the-century British college campus, this modernist glass and metal salute to the future does look out of place. Apparently it was highly controversial and I can see why. Continue on
to the Canterbury
Musuem. I was
hoping to see
their Antarctic
Exhibit which
it is apparently
renowned for
...but that too
will have to
wait for another
visit. The museum
sits adjacent
to the Botanic
Garden and these
are exceptional.
The We continued on to Dux de Lux, an excellent restaurant and microbrewery in the same block as the Arts Centre. We passed a totally enjoyable evening there with our friends, Dave and Elspeth. Kaikoura This morning we stop into Gore Bay. This is a really pretty beach about 8 km off the highway between Christchurch and Kaikouru. What makes this terrain more than a pretty beach are the siltstone cliffs that have been eroded by the wind into stalagmite-like fingers that look somewhat like the pipes of a cathedral organ. You can see these best if you stop at the lookout at the top of the hill, before you fully descend to the beach. From the beach you don’t see those but you do see these magnificently coloured cliffs, heavily banded with different coloured clays. There are several caves, although Steve stayed close to the entrance of them as the whole structure looked very crumbly. Where the water had washed over the clay and the sun had baked it, the formations were strange and beautiful. We also found
some paua shells
here and enjoyed
watching an Oyster
Catcher at work,
limping along
with only one
foot. First impressions of Kaikoura are that it is a real tourist town – primarily devoted to water activities, like whale watching, swimming with seals and dolphins, kayaking, nature cruises, etc. Many restaurants, cafes, bars, and galleries. The whale watching is more than $100 per person. We’ve seen lots of whales in the past, both from boats and from shore so we’ll keep our money in our pockets today. There is a place up the coast that offers a very good vantage for watching whales so we’ll go have a gander from shore. The other thing Kaikoura is famous for is swimming with dolphins. Even if I wanted to do that, today would not be the day as the weather is windy, and cold. We are back to jeans and fleeces and sitting inside with the door shut. Tomorrow we head for Picton and the ferry back to Wellington and the North Island. NEXT: Wellington to the East Cape.
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