Well, what a country of contrasts. Yesterday Fogg and I ate our sandwiches (cheese and tomato, of course - Fogg's favourite) watching snow falling in the Southern Alps. This morning we have had our morning coffee (large latte and a long black today) in hot sunshine in CHCH. A friend has said that NZ is a pocket handkerchief of the world and it is so. Between Hokitika on the West Coast and CHCH on the east we travelled through the aforementioned Alps, the Flow Country (of NE Scotland), a rain forest and the prairie. Back to the photos they show some of the things that we have seen during our time on the West Coast. We sat on this beach which was just beside our log cabin in Hokitika. On our last evening the wind was from the south and the waves crashing on to the beach were stupendous as was the light and the sunset. We had been staying in a log cabin in a holiday park - 'The Shining Star', highly recommended, just outside the town of Hokitika. Whilst there we drove about 100km north to the Pancake Rocks - quite extraordinary limestone rocks and their associated blow holes.
The Maori call New Zealand Aotearoa, the land of the long white cloud. On our journey yesterday we saw what they meant, long strings of white cloud decorating
the green mountains like tinsel on a christmas tree. Before I finish I must mention this crazy bird, the Kea. It is an alpine parrot which is crazy in itself!! They are inveterate flirts and love having their photos taken. They also pick at stuff and pull it to pieces. Some friends tell the story of leaving their bikes outside and unprotected overnight in the mountains, in the morning the seats had been shredded to pieces by the Keas. The birds also love nibbling at the trim on cars and if you are not careful will have pulled the trim off in a matter of seconds. In their defence they are very beautiful and when they fly show a brilliant orange colour under the wing. Hi Fogg here at last! Phileas has failed to mention the stunning photos of course. The drive from the west coast to east was, despite the weather, marvellous. We came through Arthur's Pass when we saw the snow above 1500 metres and sat in the valley in warm rain. The clouds that Phileas has mentioned go on for miles. The photos, depite my best efforts do not really show the grandeur of it all. The beach at Hokitika was also quite extraordinary. The sea is magnificent. Sadly too much to swim in and the beach was littered with beautiful pieces of wood. Some almost complete trees whilst others were exquisitely formed small bits which of course we have collected and will send back to UK. All these pieces of wood were bleached and were very sculptural. On arriving back in Sumner we went to stay with Nikki and Mark Wallace-Bell. Nikki is an ex Art teaching colleague from Redborne Upper School. It was great to see them and Mark cooked us a wonderful meal. He has restored my faith in Green Lipped Mussels!!! A good evening with them and now we are on our way to stay in Rangiora on Phileases cousins farm.
So, our journey continues to go very well. This is Fogg and Phileas wishing you all very best wishes
xx
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