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It's been quick first week here in New Zealand and all of the cold weather warnings were taken on board before we left Sydney. The rucksacks got a mini makeover, dispensing the flip flops and boardies for ski socks and thermals. A quick fact before you read on, (I know you're dying to know), there are 40 of the wolly faces to one human in New Zealand.
We flew into Christchurch and spent our first night in Base hostel, bang in the centre. We wondered around the different areas and along the Avon River. The city is regarded as a very English city, with a Cathedral in the centre and various green spaces. I love the amount of rugby pitches and the impressive countdown clock in Cathedral Square to the 2011 rugby world cup.
We spent 3 nights at my cousin Hayley's house which was fantastic, a 5 star hostel! Log fire, sky TV, electric blankets and a great view to the Southern Alps. We borrowed Nigel's car for a couple of day trips to Lyttleton , a nice harbor town behind the Port Hills, and also to Akaroa, a French settler town on the Banks Peninsula.
Our next 4 days were spent driving north to the Marlborough wine region. We popped into a winery on the way (Mud House), just to fine tune the taste buds. We stopped for a night in Kaikoura, the whale watching capital, so obviously we went whale watching. What started out to be a beautiful journey turned into a rocky boat and a big swell. So they gave us a refund even though we did see a sperm whale (The largest toothed whale for anyone who cares). Pretty humungous animals though, growing up to 18m and diving to over 3000m! Kim's fact: each tooth weighs over 1Kg, so it would be a tricky extraction.
Just outside Kaikoura there is a little wildlife gem. Hayley and some people in the hostel had mentioned it to us, we loved it so much that we popped in again on the way back to Christchiurch. It's a waterfall with a deep pool which has been overtaken by loads of seal pups, just swimming and playing. The pics will tell the story.
Our wine tour was done from Blenheim and didn't disappoint. Lots of good wines tasted and beautiful vine yards surrounded by snow capped mountains.
On our drive back to Christchurch we popped into Hamner Thermal Springs for a dip in their 41C sulphur pool.Pretty hot, and a bit whiffy!
Tonight we're picking Maeve up from the airport and staying at Hayleys. Then tomorrow we drive to Methven/Mt Hutt for a few days skiing. Peter and Lousie are coming too, so it should be a good weekend.( Our boot is stocked with good wine to ensure it is!) That's all for now.
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