New Zealand

Beers and spag bol on the 1st night in the van-amazing view!

We arrived in Christchurch and had a few days there before getting a campervan and heading off.  Christchurch was a shadow of it's former self with the damage from the recent earthquake still very apparent.  Lots of things were closed and there were roadworks and buildings being demolished all over town. 

We headed north to Kaikoura to start with and went whale watching.  We saw 3 sperm whales complete with diving tails- It was fantastic and a personal ambition achieved.



Sperm whale diving


From Kaikoura we headed north thorugh Picton and up to Marlborough sounds.  Both of us are just overwhelmed with how beautiful New Zealand is and diverse.  Every new corner turned has another spectacular view of a beach or moutains, rivers- you name it it's here.  So we have been mostly drivingaround shouting wow! look at that!

Our 8 year anniversary dinner- Green shelled mussels!

We visited Nelson, and swam in a river at Havelock.  We went up the coast and then headed back to Christchurch via St arnaud and Hanmer Springs where we went in the Thermal springs. 

Spectacular view!

Lake rotoiti

We stayed by lake Rotoiti one niht and did a walk through the forest there.  It was beautiful. 

In the thermal springs- a welcome bath!

View from the drivers seat

We headed back through Christchurch to supposedly pick up a new van but it didn't happen- long story!  So have headed down south and are now going over to Mount Cook.