On the road back to Auckland

Day 48
On the road again! It's amazing how blue sky's can really change your day and the scenery! When we stopped at Lake Tekapo we got awesome views of Mt Cook, New Zealand's highest peak at 3 754m. In 1991 this mountain lost 10m off the top! The southern alps are continuously growing and if they were made from something stronger than limestone they would rival the Himalayas in height! It's an ever changing landscape!
We arrived in Christchurch, the south islands biggest city, in the late afternoon. In February 2011, the city had a 6.3 earthquake and the city, especially the downtown, is still in a bad way. Because of this disaster Kiwi experience no longer stays over night in Christchurch but they did drop us off here. We were staying with another of Charlotte's Whistler acquaintances, Mike, for the night. He was a good host and made us a meal of fish & chips! That night we just hung out at this house while a few friends came around for some cider and beer.

Mt Cook

Day 49
Mike took us on the "earthquake tour" around Chirstchurch. I was surprised by the damage and the lack of rebuilding. We were told that most insurance companies require a minimum of 60 days of no earthquakes over 4.0 before rebuilding and the aftershocks have all been above this! Brick buildings and church's seemed to have taken the hardest hit. We also saw where entire cliffs just fell down and left houses ripped in half. He also showed us where a giant boulder crushed 2 construction workers. So scary! It is quite devasting and the downtown is still a fenced off redzone. It looks like the end of the world or the movie I am Legend. Beside the redzone they have constructed a shopping area out of shipping containers. It is a very bright and creative attraction to get people back into the city centre!
We are back on the bus too soon to leave Christchurch and go to Kaikoura, the "south islands best kept secret". It is truly beautiful
here with snow capped mountains on one side and the Pacific Ocean crashing on the other. We went for a walk down the beach and through the park as the sun set ...how romantic! Charlotte booked wild dolphin swimming for the next morning and I really had to contemplate not to go so I hope I don't regret that decision!

Christchurch earthquake damage

Kaikoura

Day 50
When leaving Kaikoura we drive the coastline for most of the way to Picton. Our only stop was to take a closer look at the seal colony on the Kaikoura peninsula. Once in Picton we caught the ferry for the 3 hour ride back to Wellington. I was super lame for a Saturday night and accidentally fell asleep at 7pm. Haha oh well!

Day 51
We got up and going this morning to the farmers market to pick up fruit and supplies for dinner. Why don't I do this at home? It's a good way to spend a Sunday morning! We later walked to a city beach called Oriental Bay and watched some beach volleyball. It was turning out to be quite a warm day outside so this called for ice cream, right? When eating icecream there seemed to be something going on close by so we followed the people to find a Christmas celebration in the town square! Christmas carols in 25 degree weather is odd but at the same time amazing!
Our night consisted of watching jello wrestling at the hostel bar. Highly entertaining...especially the male wrestling because they had to wear bikinis!

Oriental Bay

Day 52
We went to Cuba street, which is Wellingtons trendy street that has lots of shops and cafés. Wellington has more cafés and restaurants than New York City apparently! We went back to Oriental Bay to bask in the sun to read and write in our journals. Sun sun sun!!! Did you know that it only takes 7 minutes to burn in New Zealand? Gotta love the hole in the ozone!

Day 53
We had a long drive from Wellington to Taupo. We passed through Bulls again and leave River Valley behind. We then traveled along the desert road where we actually got views of Mt Ruapehu and the volcano used as Mt Doom in Lord of the Rings. It was Much better weather than last time we passed through Tongariro National Park hence why we could see it this time. Mt Ruapehu is the north islands popular ski field despite it being New Zealand's most recent volcano to erupt in 1995!
When we got to Taupo, Emma took us in again! She was back from School in Dunedin for summer holidays. She picked us up from the bus stop and showed us around again. We went to Huka Falls, the Prawn Farm, the lake and her work at Plateau restaurant. We had a drink before she started work for the night but only for us to return a couple hours later to get drunk at her bar. I forgot how much it helps to know the bartender! Deal!

Mt Doom

Emma, Charlotte and I at Huka Falls

Day 54
After a good sleep in a real bed, we got ready to take Emma's boat out on Lake Taupo. It was rough waters because it was windy but Emma found a bay for us to anchor in. It was one of my favourite days in New Zealand! We ate lunch, sunned ourselves, went swimming in the freezing water and I went tubing for the first time ever! SO fun! I couldn't stop laughing :) Good weather, good people, good time! The good day continued with ice cream from our fav spot, kaffee eis, which we thought we left in Wellington. Later on, Emma's mom made us a home cooked meal! It feels good to be mothered when your so far from home.

Tubing in Lake Taupo

Day 55
That morning we left Taupo and basically went down the highway a bit to Rotorua. Charlotte and I went for a walk around to see if we missed anything last time in the rain haha but mostly to find a movie theatre to buy tickets for Breaking Dawn! TwiHards! Afterwards we took a city bus out to go Zorbing. This randomly was one of the few things I knew I wanted to do before I came to NZ. Zorbing is rolling down a hill in a large inflatable ball. I did 1 dry run on the straight track and 1 wet run on the zig zag track. This was just another activity that I just couldn't stop laughing while I rolled down the hill. Something tired us out when we got back because we had a 3 hour nap but it really just prepared us for Twilight! We were nerds and started the line up for the theatre haha And it was the best movie in the saga yet. Team Edward! I don't think I can wait a year until part 2...it will be so good!

Zorbing!

Now..back to Auckland!!!

"Twenty years from now you will be more dissapointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in you sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain