We wake to find that snow has fallen overnight, not heaps but a few centimetres is over all the cars. The kids get on their jackets and have some fun in the street.
Continue reading “Day 14 – Hanmer Springs to Christchurch”Day 13 – Rakaia Gorge to Hanmer Springs
We return the van to Wilderness and pick up a hire car. We plan to head north of Christchurch. The coast road is still blocked north and south of Kaikoura due to the earthquake in November last year. So we head slightly inland to Hanmer Springs.
Continue reading “Day 13 – Rakaia Gorge to Hanmer Springs”Day 12 – Lake McGregor to Rakaia Gorge
That was a cold night, the van is reporting -7° in the morning and there is an icicle forming on the van where the gas vent is. We watch the other campers, whose kitchens are in the tailgate, so they need to outside at the open back door of their vans to boil the kettle while we’re nice and warm. It does feel a bit unfair, but I can live with that!
Continue reading “Day 12 – Lake McGregor to Rakaia Gorge”Day 11 – Mt Cook Village to Lake McGregor
What a special place to wake up in, well not the actual car park, that’s pretty average, but the overall location in the shadow of Mt Cook is amazing.
Continue reading “Day 11 – Mt Cook Village to Lake McGregor”Day 10 – Omaru to Mt Cook Village
Omaru’s an interesting town, lots of large old Victorian buildings. They’ve also got this “steampunk” museum/exhibition and have really taken it to theme the town. Next to the caravan park is this foreshore playground with some absolutely amazing play equipment, the kids have a ball playing while I empty the dunny and top up the water tanks.
Continue reading “Day 10 – Omaru to Mt Cook Village”Day 9 – Purakaunui Bay to Omaru
After a morning walk on the beach where we spot some more seals on the other side, it’s a short drive to a place called “The Nuggets”, that gets the kids attention! This whole area is known as “The Catlins” which of course we rename “The Caitlins!”
Continue reading “Day 9 – Purakaunui Bay to Omaru”Day 8 – Te Anau to Purakaunui Bay
We’re on the road not long after sun up, which this far south in winter is not that early! We take the back road due south of Te Anau directly to the south coast
There is heaps of frost and ice on the road so driving is a bit interesting. Everyone goes on about the Black Ice, apparently you can’t see it. So, as you can’t see it, I’m not sure we came across any of it. They say try not to drive until about an hour after sunrise so most of the ice will have melted. The frost is also bizarre, today it covers parts of the road where the trees or other shadows cross, but is gone in areas of direct sunlight.
Continue reading “Day 8 – Te Anau to Purakaunui Bay”Day 7 – Te Anau to Milford Sound and Return
Another big day
We’re picked up early from the van park by the tour bus, a 15 seater Merc minibus and it ends up being a full house, could be worse, we could be in a coach!
Continue reading “Day 7 – Te Anau to Milford Sound and Return”Day 6 – Lake Hayes to Te Anau
It’s a really cold morning, so cold that puddles in the park are frozen, so the kids have a ball breaking the ice. Fortunately no major mishaps and no one falls in.
Continue reading “Day 6 – Lake Hayes to Te Anau”Day 5 – Pleasant Flat to Lake Hayes
First up is a stop at Thunder Creek Falls and then over the bridge at the “Gates of Haast”. The river drops steeply here and the water is flowing so fast.
A quick stop at Fantail Falls then we make our way over to Blue Pools. While maybe not the deep blue that some of the photos show, the water is so clear with a blue/green tinge. It is so clear that it’s easy to make out huge trout swimming in the river. The kids have fun running around and building these cairns.
Continue reading “Day 5 – Pleasant Flat to Lake Hayes”