South Island

Fox glacier





Pancake rocks

Christchurch

Lake Tekapo

Routeburn track

Mt Hooker

Queenstown

Oh we're a bit tired Lesley!!  I left them for five minutes and this happened!!

An overnight stop in a great hostel in Picton greeted us onto the South island. After a much needed sleep we headed to Christchurch for a all too brief visit. Christchurch suffered an earthquake in September which fortunately caused no fatalities but did leave a trail of damage throughout the city. The city is bizarrely more English than England. With familiar street names and buildings which wouldn’t look out of place in any English town it was all very pleasant. Definitely a place I could have spent more time in. The next day saw us at Raititaga gorge where some of the guys went white water rafting. I went for a run in the countryside dreaming of home. I arrived back from my run to find my tent in a heap due to the extreme winds courtesy of a cyclone currently hitting the North island. A bush camp at stunning Lake Tekapo enabled us to witness a stunning sunset . The water in the lake is an unbelievable opaque blue colour as it comes straight from the glaciers. Everywhere you look in this country leads you to another stunning view and at times it’s hard to take it all in. To us Europeans as well the sight of the half moon being the wrong way round looks very bizarre, not to mention all the different star constellations. A visit to Mt Cook was unfortunately curtailed due to heavy rain but it gave us a chance to visit the Edmund Hilary exhibition which proved very interesting. The bad weather continued as we cruised on the Milford sound and the mist gave the mountains a surreal feel.


Several of us completed the famous Routeburn track. Following a set route over 3 days in Fjordland, it’s a pleasant walk through waterfalls, over swing bridges, up hill and down dale with great views along the way. At less than 20 miles it’s the sort of walk we would do in England in a day but apparently these Kiwis aren’t as tough as us and take longer! We met up with the rest of the group in Queensland which is possibly my favourite place so far. Bungy jumping and sky diving junkies fill the town, but I opted for the more sedate biking and running. Running alongside a blue lake with mountains in the background suits me more than swinging on an elastic band. A hike up Fox Glacier was next led by a very informative guide with the added bonus that he looked like David Coultard. It was fascinating to stand on the ice and hear all the history of the glacier. Bit chilly though!




We’re currently at yet another stunning beach camp although I have upgraded tonight to a cabin. As much as I love camping sometimes a nice bed is too appealing. A visit to the nearby famous pancake rocks ( everything is ‘famous’ here) was in order and even I was impressed. So impressed I intend to return at sunset and take some photos.