Bealey's Hotel Christchurch

... revolting container). We were off and away. Hang on. All the womenfolk were missing, having found a trading post at Merrivale open for business. We tracked them down & filled the wagons with provisions. All essential food groups covered. Smoked salmon, cheese, olives, avocado, insect repellent, crackers, beer, insect repellent, steak, veggies, eggs & insect repellent. Whipped the VW horses into life & headed for the hills (Arthur's Pass). Stopped a few times along the way ...

... yellow when they handled the world cup after the final in 1966? The answer is NOT gordon banks (or pickles the dog, as i guessed). The next day, we drove to the ferry port at Picton, where I bid farewell to Stella and Nancy who were going to the North Island, and we picked up a bunch of people coming down from there. I stayed 3 nights in Nelson in the North West of the south island. We went out for a few drinks on the first night but most people left the next ...

... journey we left the Southern Alps behind and travelled down long flat straight aways surrounded by dairy farms. Apparently dairy farms are the new sheep farms in New Zealand, so to speak. We arrived in Christchurch around 5:00...just in time for all of the sporting goods stores to be closed...so no cool shopping (Kristen still needs bike shorts for China, and I'm considering getting a pair of "trainers" [I've started ...

... stop was Lake Tekapo, so beautiful we stayed 2 nights. On the first night we got $10 tickets to the Mount John Observatory (apparently it's the year of Astronomy NOT Astrology which I told someone!) the astronomers were really keen and showed us some constellations and gassy nebulas but it was a pretty cloudy night!! The following day we walked up to that hill and around the lake it was so windy, but a great view point from the top. After all that activity ...

... by hedges like they have in Great Britain in rural areas. After a couple of hours of pastoral scenery, we stopped at a little town called Cheviot for tea and a "comfort" stop as the guide put it. We had tea at a little café called the Cheviot Tea Room. Which sounds fancier than it is. It is just a little roadside café-nothing too gourmet. After our "comfort stop", we continued on towards Kaikura. For a while, we were still passing through ...

... sorting out the money to pay for the van, tax it and for 'change of ownership'. We then drove over Port Hills to Lyttelton (port for Christchurch), where Chris reminisced over his old haunts. We walked along the wharfs and streets where Chris had been many times. My first trip to sea had been to NZ and I had met Chris - we had gone from London to Auckland, Lyttelton and Timaru before returning to London. It was in the outer harbour of Lyttelton where, 33 years ago ...

And so ends the sisters' road trip. Just as we left Kaikoura the dolphins put on a show for us as a final farewell. It was a great trip around the South Island. I know that there is still so much more to see and do in New Zealand so I guess I'll just have to come back some day!!!

... as I didnt bring any!!) and saw really strange band live plus drank cocktails out of a teapot, I have now officially named it Kiwi tea!! We headed over the Lindis Pass through to Lake Pukaki for the Mt Cook lookout via Twizel and Lake Tekapo plus stopped at the most photographed church in NZ, very small but very pretty. Lots of love to you all Tracey xxx

... visit. It's a really good way to see a cty if you don't have a lot of time. We were really impressed by Christchurch, it's a very nice city with a lot of cool restaurants, old buildings and the Avon River flowing through it. We were planning to go back to the camping ground to cook but then we passed this Belgian restaurant where they served mussels. We couldn't resist! As we sat there on the terrace eating moules et frites avec mayonnaise, Ben drinking Hoegaarden we ...

... plus American music) And a few NZ phrases (a lot of these may be the same as those used in Britain, and there are more but I can't think of them right now): Sweet as - awesome Good on you - nice job Cheers - thanks Good as gold - you're welcome Eh? - huh? Up until this point, I've always had this notion that life is supposed to follow a fairly strict path.  You graduate, get a job, get married, get a house, a family, maybe a dog, then you retire.  I'm not sure if it's American ...