Observations in no particular order
Franz Joseph: Click here for the link to all the Franz Joseph photos
1) glacier has melted quite a bit in the last 4 years (alarming perhaps?)
2) beautiful snow cap mountains
3) helicopter only safe way to directly explore glaciers in this area ( at $300 per person, we skipped this option )
4) ice blue water river
5) grey glacial rushing water river
6) the trail we took to see the glacier had 3 waterfalls, a fantastic surprise
7) another great motel room with glacier view and free wifi!
8) perfect weather
9) pesky tiny biting sand flies
10) hiking trails beautifully groomed and clearly marked
11) drive - long and winding roads through mountains ... Tricky especially from the right side of the car on the left side of the road.
12) prices continue to be high. ex) Hamburger and fries $18.
13) the land of "one lane only" bridges
Christchurch : Click here for the link to the Christchurch photos
Arthur's pass was a challenging drive through mountains. I took a turn at the wheel and we didn't die!
Deans Bush Motel, Riccarton Ave, they gave us a two bedroom unit for the price of a studio!
Rain, Rain, Rain and wind all day thanks to cyclone Lucy.
Went to the museum and then the Antarctic Centre where the mini blue penguins live and there is a blizzard. It felt just like Canada. We didn't stay very long. We already know what -20 feels like.
Next day, beautiful and sunny. Went on a 3 hour bus tour of the city. The earthquake from Feb 23, 2011 was devastating to the area. It will take 20 years to repair all the damage.
Peninsula overlooking sea and city is a windy narrow road way up a mountain. Re:start mall built with shipping containers. Very smart idea!
Picnic Lunch at Amberley Beach on our way to Kaikoura. Our first real look at the South Pacific Ocean.
St. Patricks Day Party tonight!! We found a bar with 2 bands playing Irish music. Happy St. Patty's Day!
(Music turned out to be NOT Irish. But it was nice to see so many people in a small town)
Kaikoura: Click here for all the Kaikoura photos
Very small ocean town made famous for it's tours to see whales, ocean birds and to swim with dolphins and seals. We only stayed here for the night.
Picton
Picton is a beautiful little town where the ferry terminal is. We are parking here for tonight. Exploring a few trails in the morning before heading back on the ferry for the North Island.
P.s. All the photos will come later when I can get them off the camera. For now, iPhone photos will have to do.
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