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Welcome to New Zealand everyone!
We've been here four days so far, and have already fitted so much in that it feels like we've been here ages (in a good way!). We flew into Christchurch late on Monday night, arriving at our 'Jailhouse'. This hostel is a slightly spooky old place (especially when you arrive in the middle of the night!), as it was an old correctional facility which wasn't actually decommissioned until 1999. It's huge and empty and the echoes really resound. It reminded Jo and me of Kilmainham Gaol which we looked around in Dublin. It was actually really awesome, with loads of great facilities (TV room and cinema room), a clean kitchen and a pool table in a lofty position overlooking the entire complex. Jo even managed to get a hot water bottle!
We have noticed a marked change in temperature since arriving in NZ, and we've all been walking around in jumpers and trousers, a real change from our tshirts and shorts which we've worn pretty much the whole time since we set off in January. We've rented a car as well, which we're all able to drive. This has been great so far, as it means we've all been able to share out the driving, set off at our own times, and stop en route when and where we want. It was a bargain price as well!
Our first two days in NZ were spent in Christchurch, a very English and quaint place, with autumn leaves falling from the trees and chill air. There was a lot of very British looking architecture and even a river which you could go punting on! I went as far as having a full English breakfast as my first meal, and we all felt right at home. Our punt went out from the candystripe Antigua Boatsheds along the Avon River and through the Botanic Gardens. There were hundreds of ducks which the boatsman ably steered around. We bought a combination ticket which also gave us access to the tram, which runs on a loop around the main city sights, include the restoration Gothic cathedral. The old Canterbury College had been converted into an arts centre, with boutique shops, galleries and cafes. We bought some fudge and browsed at our leisure. On our second day we wandered through the Botanic Gardens on foot, before going to the Canterbury Museum, which had a variety of displays from the first Maori and European settlers to reach the Canterbury plains right through to Scott's fateful Antarctic expedition. Our combination ticket also gave us a ride up a cable gondola to the top of Mount Cavendish, which overlooked Christchurch, Lyttleton (a nearby town) and the Banks Peninsula. We got some great views, though it was very cold and blustery on top! We did a short walk here to various lookouts before calling it a day.
Yesterday Joe and I woke early to watch Leicester play Cardiff in the second leg of the Championship play-off semi-final. Leicester lost on penalties, so I was pretty distraught! Picking up the car and heading out on the open road helped to make up for it a little though. We drove about 250 kilometres out to Lake Tekapo through some absolutely breathtaking mountain scenery, over rivers and streams and past shimmering blue lakes. You could definitely see why they decided to film Lord of the Rings out here. Joe was even humming tunes from the movie! Lake Tekapo was beautiful, and we really enjoyed a relaxing afternoon and evening there. We got some good photos of the lake, mountains and clear blue skies with the Church of the Good Shepherd in the foreground, and then checked in to our hostel right by the lake. As it was four years today since Jo and I started going out, we treated ourselves to ice-skating and thermal pool dipping at the Alpine Springs resort. The setting was fantastic - as we sat in boiling pools warming up, we had a pine forest behind us and Lake Tekapo stretched out in front.
Today we drove the 100 kilometres or so up to Mount Cook (Aoraki in Maori). On the way we stopped off for pictures at Lake Pukaki, although Mount Cook itself was shrouded in mist. The drive was probably even more beautiful than yesterday, and we all felt really privileged to be able to come somewhere like this. Jo was literally hanging out the window taking shot after shot! Arriving at Mount Cook village we set out on the Hooker Valley walk, a slight uphill walk over two suspension bridges crossing torrents of ice-cold water (we did stick our hands in to check), past glaciers and lakes, and into a valley that revealed Mount Cook in all its glory. We managed to time it perfectly: as we rounded the corner and Mount Cook came into view, the cloud lifted and we were able to get some photos. We even saw ice floating on the Hooker lake it was that cold up there! We didn't feel too icy, however, as we'd worked up a sweat with our walk. Getting back to our car, we headed for our hostel, where a free sauna awaited us. That evening, Jo and I completed our anniversary celebrations by heading to the Hermitage, the most famous hotel in NZ for a meal. It was very posh, but reasonably priced and very tasty! I had a lamb rack whilst Jo had chicken, and we both had creme brulee (Jo = happy) for dessert. They gave us free chocolates and a mini entree of smoked salmon (I ate Jo's!).
Tomorrow we've got a long drive down to Dunedin, on the coast in the south. We're going to be spending two days there, eating chocolate and visiting penguins and seals, hopefully!
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