After all our train rides in New Zealand, as well as the buses and planes everywhere else we were ready to get our own wheels to explore the rest of the country. We picked up our stylishly understated 1.3 liter white Nissan station wagon that converts into a "micro campervan". We decided on the fitting name of Tina, and began our adventures on the wrong side of the road down under. We first explored the war zone that is downtown Christchurch still experiencing aftershocks less than two months ago from the major earthquake last February. The CBD is basically blocked off, and buildings are continuously being torn down and rebuilt or like some areas around the town just abandoned forever because the ground is unstable.

After that experience we began our drive to Queenstown. We didn't quite make it before it started to get dark, and we were anxious to see the Tina conversion. We pulled off at one of the many free campsites in New Zealand, and had a lovely dinner with our table and chairs next to a clear river with the sun going down. We woke up early and finished the next few hours to Queenstown, which is the adventure, action, energy drink capital of probably the world. They invented the jet boat there, which was absolutely amazing to fly through steep rock canyons nearly touching the sides and sometimes in water only 2 inches deep at 40 kph doing full 360 spins. After that quick thrill we continued south to the Milford Sound. The Milford is a temperate rainforest area with loads of rainfall that we observed on one of the most amazing drives through some of the steepest rock faces with water cascading down all around us that eventually leads you down to the base of the sound. We took a several hour boat cruise around the sound and were able to truly appreciate the size of the steep cliffs and waterfalls up close and wet. We stayed one more night getting to be pros at our camper car and kitchen set up.

We started a full day of driving through winding mountain roads with one more stop at the original bungy jumping site in Queenstown at an old bridge 142 ft above a chilly blue river. After watching a few folks jump for their life I went on up and did the same. So awesome that I went back up and did it again, and got dunked down to my knees in the river below. Leah didn't make it up there, but was very happy I endured a halfway decent shower.

We continued on towards the west coast, and it was definitely our favorite drive crossing the Southern Alps with the most beautiful lakes in New Zealand. We stopped off at another campsite for the night deep in mosquito and sand fly territory. We got an early start and hugged the coast line awhile until encountering even more mountain roads all the way to the top of the south island to Abel Tasman National Park.

We began our two day stay in the park, which sits on a beautiful stretch of New Zealand coast line of golden beaches, wild life abound, and extreme tidal changes. We took a water taxi ride up the coast, and were dropped off on a beach where we began a six hour walk up and down the coastal hills, complete with tidal water crossings, to our campsite where we would be met the next morning for our full day of kayaking back down the coast. The forest and beaches were spectacular, however the bright blue water was deceivingly cold. We camped on a little peninsula for the night and had a wonderful kayaking through the bays and open ocean. We passed through an island bird sanctuary, baby fur seals playing in the water and even one little blue penguin floating around.

We used some of the local public showers off the beach to get some much needed soap and shampoo, and continued on to Picton where we were due to swim with dolphins in the wild the next morning. Well, dolphin swim fail number two after not being able to book the tour in Kaikorua earlier, this time due to one of the boats batteries would not charge and they didn't have another one for some reason so the whole thing was cancelled. A disappointing end to a lovely trip around the south island, but we still had fine weather for the ferry ride back into Wellington, and a proper New Zealand lamb dinner to look forward to at Paul and Jilly's that night in Waikanae.