My Last 24 Hours - Lake Tekapo

24 hours ago I was debating whether I should have come to Lake Tekapo on the South Island of New Zealand. You see - I had to backtrack and go completely out of my way back through Christchurch and waste a whole day on a bus to get here. When I arrived, I thought: Should I have bothered? ..............Yes!

After Checking into my hostel, I put on my hiking boots and went for a 4 hour hike up the
surrounding hills for a 360' view of the mountains of this region. Wow. I cooked a fantastic pasta dinner at the hostel, started a 500-piece puzzle, and then went out on a stargazing tour on Mt. John. Lake Tekapo is known for having the clearest night skies in New Zealand and is home to the most Southernly observatory in the world. Wow - it was incredible. We saw the Southern Cross, the coal sack nebula, the magellanic clouds, Jupiter and 4 of its moons, scorpius rising as Orion was setting, Saturn and rings and 4 of its moons, the Orion nebula......... so cool! Got back home and worked a bit more on my puzzle before bed.

As if that wasn't enough to make the trip worthwhile.

Woke this morning and met a man who runs boat cruises on the lake. He was looking for people to come with him for the day as he was filming an advertisement that will run on Air New Zealand flights next season. Sign me up! I spent my morning on the boat as the camera filmed us (see the camera in the background of the picture?) We then landed on an island and were treated to freshly smoked trout for lunch (caught at 11am today), and a few glasses of very fine chardonnay. After getting back to the hostel, I finished my puzzle and sat down to tell you about my day. I actually thought it was over, and was enjoying a cuppa, when just now I've been approached by the owner of the boat cruise company and ivited for tea (dinner) at their home to share the remainder of the trout. I must say this travelling business is really rough sometimes.

Wish you were here to share today with me, Sarah/Chronic

NZ: Update the First

I started my Kiwi experience in Kaikoura for 2 days, where I watched big fat seals sleep motionless on rocks, saw a sheep-shearing show [had to do it -- look where I am], and met up with a family friend from Canada who happened to be visiting the town for just the one day. Small big world. I went swimming with dolphins one morning and was surrounded by these creatures. Found out afterwards as we watched them jump and do flips and pose for our cameras from the boat that there were between 4 and 6 hundred of them in the particular group we were watching. Not too shabby.

Took the bus to the North part of the South island where I hiked and kayaked for 4 days in Abel Tasman National Park. Hard to describe the beauty and peacefulness of this place with words. Even had a baby seal jump up and sit on my kayak!

Back on the East coast, I spent Easter in Akaroa. For a slight change from the backpacking lifestyle, I stayed in B&B accommodation and was exposed to the world of fine dining. Akaroa is the only French settlement in New Zealand and they certainly do it up nicely. 2 things to do if you go to Akaroa:
1. Find a bench with a view and sit on it. Quality of experience increases if sitting time exceeds 97 minutes.
2. Meet the wildlife. Have a conversation with a ridiculously cute hedgehog in the middle of the road after dark. Ensure no other humans are around.
Back down to my 'relatively' realistic budget I went West to explore some glaciers; specifically Franz Josef: the steepest and fastest moving commercially guided glacier in the world. I spent a full day hopping over crevases and squeezing through caves of blue ice. What an amazing experience. I walked 5 km up the glacier, which has a total length of 12 km. If you look at the picture, I got 3/4 up the dark strip in the middle section. I had seen glaciers before and walked to the edge of the ice, but climbing up and in the actual thing is a different experience altogether. Do it if you ever get the chance.

Adelaide and Melbourne

I flew to Adelaide after the most non-Irish St. Patrick's Day I've ever had (had pad thai and wine with friends before going tango dancing and finishing the night at a goth club). Everything is normal when you are travelling.

Luke met me at the airport and took me to dinner. So nice to get off an airplane in a strange place and have someone there to meet me. Luke was part of our group travelling in Scotland and I'd seen him in the UAE while we both were passing through. I also met with Yvonne and Natalie for coffee who I'd worked with in the US back in 2002. Adelaide is known for being surrounded by a very large wine region and people come from all over to tour it. After living in Margaret River since January, I somehow wasn't motivated to sample any grapejuice. Instead I went to the beach, toured a chocolate factory, saw a yirdaki (didgeridoo) show, and sat in the empty Oval watching an imaginary cricket match.

Off to Melbourne I went next and discovered it to be a new favourite place of mine. Wandered through the streets to find markets, cool galleries, shops, and cafes in which one can sit for hours just nursing their flat white. Also stumbled upon a full-on music festival in the park.

This is a city where I could live and one I will definately return to. Saw Kosta there, who I'd met in Northern Ireland, and caught up with him for a while too.

Leaving Australia for New Zealand after 4 months, I am confident I have left enough things and places to see for when I return. G'day.