So after a thorough examination of Christchurch we were prepared for
our onward travel, first stop Lake Tekapo. We'd pre-booked a bus
ticket for travel all the way up to Auckland so this was the beginning
of a long journey, first crossing the Canterbury Plains again, further
to the South this time and towards the Mackenzie District. Our coach
was an interesting journey, the driver providing a running commentary
most of the way along giving interesting viewing opportunities and
enough information regarding irrigation, deer, cattle and milk
production to fill a weekly journal. We made only one stop en route
and arrived mid-afternoon and instantly were taken by the scenery that
makes this place as special as it is.. Due to the glacier and
mountains interaction the run off that fills the lake also provides it
with a turqoise hue at times depending on light and other weather
conditions. We were fortunate enough to bear witness to such a day
instantly, and with the hills and mountains surrounding it the view
was something to behold - if only we could get rid of our bags!! We
headed off round the lake and eventually arrived at our hostel which
although wasn't quite as lake front as it may suggest was fortunate
with its view in its own right. Checking in we headed straight out and
back up to where we'd come from, our aim being the Church of the Good
Shepherd, a well photographed area but justifiably so.. A small
chapel, hand built by locals from rocks retrieved from around the lake
it was a charming little place, with another incredible view from
inside to the mountains over the lake. After a while capturing some
images we stopped at the local shop for supplies before heading back
to while away the night time hours with a healthy log fire
burning.Since there isn't a large amount of activities to do here we
set off for a trek the next day up Mount John, with the path just
minutes away from our hostel it was too inviting. At its summit you
have the University Observatory which you can pay to visit, though
this wasn't something we could really consider so instead we set off
up the hill with a day time view likely to offer a satisfying enough
vantage point. After a good hour or so weaving up through forest we
began the final walk through fields and the panorama was unfolding -
certainly not disappointing. West were the mountain ranges comprising
Mount Cook and the National Park, to the North Cass Valley and the
lake stretching along the base for the rest. We stopped for lunch and
took in more of the view before slowly descending - if this was a sign
of things to come then by no means was I going to be bored!!We had
planned to leave the following day but our planned trip was delayed so
we moved our departure back a further day to be able to go - horse
trekking. We got picked up early and headed to the stables where after
a brief run through of the basics (stirrups, reigns, uphill lean
forward, downhill lean back..) we set off toward the forest at the
base of Mt John where they had a track leading through which we'd
crossed on our previous trip. After clearing the forest we had a great
view of the lake, the hills opposite reflected in the still water. We
moved back down to the lake side before returning back through the
forest. It was a pretty special experience, I'd always fancied horse
riding though had never found the opportunity easy to come by.. In
reflection, it's strange sitting atop a breathing animal though you
get used to it.. The horses are more than used to this trek so we
weren't really riding so much as being led on horseback. Mine was a
bit grumpy, though it was a cold day which meant hooves slipped going
uphill and he seemed a bit impatient about other horses delay in
tackling the terrain.. Still, all in all a pretty novel experience.The
following day it was time to move on so after a seemingly longer trek
back to the bus stop we began our journey to Queenstown.Our driver was
generous with the stopping points and not quite so familiar with the
local farms though it did creep in..!! We had a brief stop by Lake
Pukaki to take in the view of Mount Cook which was appreciated and
besides that a flying stop at a farm shop outside of Twizel it was an
easy enough journey plus the final stop was not too far away from our
hostel.Queenstown was certainly an interesting place to be visiting, a
centre for adventure tourism in NZ for certain, and a fairly lively
place compared to Tekapo. Our hostel was something else, aptly named
Adventure they had provided everything imaginable - even down to book
holders and reading lights on each bunk.. We headed out for a walk
around town before it got too cold and dark before saving the rest for
the next day.We headed to the Botanical Gardens that morning, partly
to have a good walk around them but also to try our hand at Frisbee
Golf - certainly not as easy as it looks or sounds!! We gave up after
5 out of 18 'holes' and carried on taking in the view around Lake
Wakatipu. When we came back into town we stopped in at Williams
Cottage, an original settlers house that had been saved from
demolition and now served as an art shop come cafe.. It hadn't
actually been re-decorated since the 1930s so it was a really special
little building, layers of wallpaper peeled off te reveal previous
decades of design, all the way back to a hessian cloth backing. The
walls were also stained by various cases of flooding, the most severe
and recent being in 1995. Out of anywhere we'd seen this was the most
connected with it's heritage, the family tree of the previous owners
hung in the hallway.We had a trip to Milford Sound booked up for the
next day so after some dinner and a few games of Monopoly we turned
in. It was a cold and early morning to be waiting for a bus, though
once on board it was a fair bit warmer. We had to ride this for around
six hours til we reached the Sound, various stops on the way from Te
Anau to Mirror Lake, NAME waterfalls and Monkey Creek broke up the
journey well and made for fantastic viewing along with Mitre Peak and
the NAME Reserve. Our driver had been brilliantly concise with his
explanations thoughout, as a Maori descendent he was able to
illuminate other aspects that otherwise may not have been. We
eventually arrived and departed on our boat not too long after
boarding, toward the Tasman Sea where we'd turn and head back before a
shorter return journey. Already the scenery was incredibly beautiful,
the final throws of the mountainous peaks before they descended below
the water line - and the fiord we were passing through only a further
testament to the immense powers of nature that continue to forge this
country.. Then for another experience, as we reached the Tasman, a pod
of dolphins came to play with the boat much to everyones delight..
There were around seven of them, one youngster among their numbers -
and apparently one did a big jump though I missed it! Heading back we
drew up incredibly close to the base of one of the many waterfalls and
as we were turning back into the main passage witnessed a set of seals
sunning themselves on the rocks.. After a great afternoon it was time
to head back, the journey shortened by less stops and taken up with a
few dvds en route. That night I stayed up all night to be able to
watch the FA Cup Final - plus Arsenal v Norwich, it was quite fun and
the first time I'd seen any live football for 2 months, fortunately
not a disappointment. Come six am it was time to get ready and head
out to our bus stop for the next leg, on to Wanaka.
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