Last night the sky was clear and full of stars.
We left the southern lakes and Alps after breakfast and drove north east to Blenheim. Fed up with the trucks on H1, we headed through the mountains. A longer but magnificent drive.
Tomorrow we take the Interislander across the Cook Straight back to the North Island and begin the second half of our travels in New Zealand.
Breakfast in the warm sunshine, hailstones on Mt.John, a bitterly cold walk in the forest, torrential rain all evening on our corrugated iron roof, new snow on the mountains.
Wonderful place to feel really alive.
A magical day around Mount Cook. Shifting light, iceberg lake, birdsong and rock.
A place to dance and sing for the joy of it all and to feel the immensity of the cosmos.
Witnessed the baptism of 5 young men in Lake Opuha as the wind whipped across the water.
Walked down to the shore of Lake Tekapo and on to the interdenominational Church of the Good Shepherd. Too many small shepherds and angels around for us to squeeze into the nativity carol service.
Left Dunedin early. Stopped at Koekohe Beach to see the Moeraki Boulders. These are large spherical boulders which fall out of the eroding cliffs. They are created when calcite cements mud, silt and clay together.
Arrived at Lake Tekapo. Our nearest neighbours – Merino sheep!
We had the immense pleasure of a full day of test match cricket at the homely University Oval, Dunedin.
Met our first stained glass Little Blue Penguin in St Paul’s Anglican Cathedral, Dunedin.
Walked into the building to the opening bars of Elgar’s Nimrod on the majestic organ. Brought tears to the eye.
Three glasses of crisp, local wine raised in good cheer to celebrate a loving and lasting friendship that has endured through great sadness as well as great happiness.
Thank you Clare and Di for sharing the last three weeks of your Great Adventure with me.
Guest writer – Jen
Words struggle to give expression to the magical experience we had overnighting on the Fiordland Navigator in the wilderness of the Doubtful Sound on the west coast of the South Island.
Kayaking before dusk beneath the towering mountains; waking to the misty greyness of first light on the water; experiencing the total ‘Sound of Silence’ when suddenly the surrounding bird sound could be heard in all its glory; witnessing the pod of bottle-nosed dolphins passing us on their way out to the Tasman Sea.
Sheer gift.
Kyak image – Thanks Rosalea May.
We drove from Christchurch to Twizel via Burke’s Pass. Stopped at Three Creeks Trading Co. on the pass and spotted these wonderful cars and trucks.
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