New Zealand. Travelling again.

We have been in New Zealand for a week and this is the first time I have written a blog, although I have uploaded the photos onto Blogspot.  I think I have about six unwritten blogs ready to go.

The trip from Melbourne to Christchurch was interesting, to say the least, and not one we will repeat again.  We flew Jetstar, a budget airline, which should have told us something.  The flight left at 12.30 am and arrived in Christchurch at 5.00 am.  A two and a half hour flight with a two hour time difference.  And on hard and uncomfortable seats.  

As it was a budget airline we could only book in three hours beforehand, so had to sit on the landside at Melbourne Airport for about four hours.  Once through security and immigration we found the only sitting area was in the transit lounge.  All the comfortable seating was blocked off and being transformed into a new shopping area.  Such a pain.

So we arrived in Christchurch Airport, bleary eyed, slightly jet lagged and definitely sleep deprived.  We were ready to make mistakes.  However we kept track of all our possessions, and managed to get through customs without needing to appear on Border Control.  

It was still only 5.30 am.  What were we going to do for the next two hours.  The cafe was open, thank goodness, so after a coffee and a Danish bun, we felt slightly more attentive.  I managed to transfer some money around in our accounts by using my wifi gadget.  And no mistakes. And so we waited, and waited, together with many other people, until Christchurch woke up. 

At 8 am Walter finally contacted the car rental people, only to be told that the agency we booked the car through had gone bankrupt at the end of December.  Luckily we had forgotten to pay the full amount for the car at the beginning of December otherwise we would have lost all our money.   A bit of good fortune there. Thankfully the rental firm still had cars for hire, so all ended well.

We drove to the motel, booked in, had a very welcome shower and went back to the airport to collect Margaret, who had flown from Nelson.  It was very strange to collect my sister from a New Zealand airport.  Usually it is the other way round. But it was lovely to see her.  

Margaret sitting comfortably on the couch in our motel room.

We spent a lovely day with our aunt.  It was great to catch up with Muriel.  I think we talked all day. So much to catch up on.

After a very long sleep we set off south to Wanaka.

Walter standing in front of our rental car, a Hyundai Elantra.

Omarama.  A popular tourist stop between Lake Pukaki and the Lindis Pass.  Not our favourite place due to the poor quality food that is on offer at the tea rooms.  However we still managed to eat our over large ice creams.  Ice creams in New Zealand are huge.

The photographs are slightly out of sequence.   We stopped for morning coffee at our favourite cafe in the little town of Geraldine.

The cafe is set in a beautiful garden, which during summer is ablaze with flowers.

After passing Lake Tekapo, we drove onto Lake Pukaki, where we stopped to admire the shimmering blue glacial lake.  Sadly no view of Mount Cook as it was too cloudy.  But there were plenty of tourists, lining the banks of the lake.

I managed to capture the sculpture of a merino sheep, with Lake Pukaki in the background.

The Lindis Pass, with its picturesque tussock clad slopes.

Finally, we arrived at Brian and Susanne's house in Lake Wanaka.  A great welcome, a glass or two of wine, plus a beautiful view of the sun as it set behind the mountains.

Brian and Susanne's patio which has been build above their garden.  Fantastic views.

Our bedroom on the top floor of the house.  A perfect view early in the morning.

Lunch out at the airport cafe.

Drinks on the deck overlooking the lake.  Brilliant sunshine too.

Another lunch.  This time at a cafe on the main street of Wanaka.

I bought a new top, bright pink which makes a change from the fluffy blue jacket I had been wearing since leaving the UK.  Walter has a new black jacket.

Wanaka was extremely busy, with tourists everywhere.  The road from Christchurch to Wanaka was also busy, with tourists in cars, motorhomes, campervans and coaches.  Great for the economy.