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Well we are currently in Christchurch, approximately half way through our time in New Zealand. We have had about 8 weeks here and have toured most of the South Island. After a couple of weeks rest with Susan's brother in Christchurch we set off in a people carrier we had bought to travel the country. After a few days driving we stopped for a couple of days in the north. We ventured out on the Abel Tasmin National park waters with a few hours kayaking. This was a first for Susan and we were fortunate to have some lovely weather while we spotted some seals and admired the beautiful surroundings. Travelling down the west coast was relatively quiet although we chose not to buy any jade jewellery which was found here. Instead we found a place where we were able to make our own piece of Maori jewellery. Susan chose jade and I chose bone and we were both amazed at how good they turned out.The Glaciers were the next places we reached and were incredible sights just from relatively close up. After booking a climb at Franz Josef and having the disappointment of being told that we would not be allowed to venture up it due to my epilepsy we continued on to Fox Glacier. Fortunately Susan made me ask a company here and they were a lot more helpful and were infact prepared to take us. Deciding on what to do here was difficult but we eventually agreed on a full day's climbing. As expected we were required to wear numerous items which they provided including some crampons when we were on the ice. These did not prove as difficult as they looked but made walking on the ice even everybodys pace and we were able to admire crevasses and climb through one hole which was awesome. Even though it rained late in the day it did not spoil this amazing experience which was a first for both of us and something I had dreamed about doing for a long time.
Some of the places we stayed when we headed towards Queenstown were amazing as we seemed to have numerous opportunities, which we took, to stay on campsites quite literally on the edge of lakes. The sunsets were quite stunning on many an occasion. We were pleasantly surprised with Queenstown as it was not as full of young backpackers as we expected and nothing like the Australian east coast. We were able to watch someone do a bungy jump of a massive bridge which was as close as we were planning on getting. The town did have a gondola ride up to the top of the local mountain to provide you with stunning views of town and its surroundings. We got to see people doing tandem paraglides from here which was wonderful to see but again too scary for us. There was also a little luge ride which was great fun near the top which let you go slow to admire the scenery or fast to enjoy the speed - naturally we did both.
These first couple of weeks had only one let down and that was that we were both getting bitten quite heavily by sandflies which then itched for days afterwards. So to say things improved from Milford Sound onwards was a really pleasant suprise. I was persuaded not to drive to Milford Sound from Te Anau, where we were staying, and this turned out to be a very wise decision as the scenery was spectacular and I would not have enjoyed it anywhere nearly as much if I had been driving. The boat trip was also very successful as the weather held out for us which was a shock considering it rains here approximately 310 days a year. The scenery again was incredible with some huge waterfalls where we got so close you got soaked if not careful.
We then spent time travelling the south coast where we continually stopped in beautiful bays, one of which enabled us to see seals from touching distance if desired. Another was so plentiful of dolphins we watched in amazement for hours. Dunedin was definately a lovely place to stay for a few days which we did. We happened to be in the town centre on the day when 50ish Scottish bands from around the country were marching round the centre which was an incredible spectacle to see and hear. We chose to go on the Taieri train ride from there inland, which had spectacular drops down to a river almost all the way. Lanarch Castle may be the only castle in NZ but not surprisingly it was here in a town considered the Edinburgh of the country due to numerous Scottish connections. It had been restored quite beautifully and was very interesting. Unfortunately this was where the weather turned wet and cold which was very unfortunate as we were just setting off towards Mount Cook. We took a gamble and chose to stay the night which paid off immensely when we were provided with some clear sky and wonderful views of the surrounding mountains for a brief period that evening. So after a couple of days of this weather sleeping in a van, which we had done now for nearly 5 weeks, we were very appreciative of being able to stay with family in Christchurch again.
Since returning we have visited the Antarctic Centre here which was an amzing experience. We took the opportunity of having a ride in a Haaglund which are the vehicles they use there and taking us on a 15 minute ride over hills and through water was great fun. Inside we were able to see a penguin colony very close up where the staff were very informative. The piece-de-resistance though was being able to go into "the Antarctic Storm" room designed like Scott Base where they dropped the temperature via wind to a horrendous -25C . Even I found it cold. Unfortunately for Susan this has only heightened my obsession with visiting either Pole but these recent experiences have certainly fulfilled some of my dreams.
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