Goodbye Mum and Dad!

 So much has happened in the past week I don't even know where to start! I think by the end of my last post we were in Franz Josef, just about to head down to Queenstown on the most beautiful drive of my life. We drove from mountains with glaciers, down alongside the pebble beaches which were covered in drift wood (Mum's heaven), through the Haast pass and past a few clear, blue lakes then finally were blessed with a fantastic view down to Queenstown (shown at the top). Along the way we stooped for a very nice coffee overlooking the lake in Wanaka (a place I will definitely be returning to) and we took a look in a few sweet little shops in the historic Arrowtown.
Our accommodation in Queenstown was quite a step up from the YHAs; we were staying at Nugget Point Boutique which had the most amazing views over the Shotover river (shown below), a very swish bathroom with a jacuzzi bath and free use of the spa facilities. We decided it was much too appealing after the long day of driving so we stayed there for a very nice meal and dip in the hot tub and sauna.

I was quickly reminded why I had loved Queenstown so much on my previous visit. After a morning wandering around the town and eating a rather good lunch, at Vudu Cafe on the waterfront, we hopped on the bus for white water rafting. 
The first task was putting on the thick wetsuits, jackets, boots and buoyancy aids. A bus then took us down skippers creek road; a pretty scary, narrow route down into the valley, right along the cliff edge.

The rafting itself was great fun; whizzing down rapids and even jumping out from time to time to cool down in the water. My favourite part was the last couple of minutes; after a long dark tunnel we reached the most extreme of the rapids where we were told to turn sideways so we wouldn't hit our noses. We hit the rapid at a strange angle meaning we were thrown sideways so that Dad and 2 others fell out. (this is pictured at the top).
All this rafting worked up quite an appetite so we went to Queenstown's famous Fergburger restaurant for a huge, but very good burger. 
After another night at Nugget Point then patisseries by the lake front we head South for Manapouri.

Manapouri is a small place where we were staying in a cute, cosy little bach. The weather there wasn't so chipper so we had a slow morning then went into Te Anau for a coffee before a short walk along part of the Kepler track (another of the great walks). That evening we snuggled up inside, as the temperatures had dropped to around 4C, and started a tricky puzzle. (such party animals!)

  The main reason for staying in Manapouri was to visit Doubtful Sound; a stunning area which is actually a fiord, not a sound.

In order to reach the sound you have to take a boat trip then a coach journey meaning it is very remote; there was only one other boat out there. The scenery there was absolutely breathtaking. Steep sided mountains rose out of the deep blue water (fresh on top and salt below) with clouds pouring over their peaks and through the valleys but also sun leading to awesome rainbows. A bonus was the large pod of dolphins which played along side the boat, flipping and jumping high out the water.

On the way back, as part of the coach trip, we wound our way down a long tunnel underground to the hydroelectric power station (pictured to the left); here Dad was in storyboard heaven. We finally arrived back to our little bach around 3.30, very cold but having had a fantastic day, with hundreds of photos to show it.

 On Tuesday we had a long drive up from Manapouri to Lake Tekapo, over the Lindis pass and through yet more amazing scenery. We were blessed with perfect blue skies for the drive up meaning that when we stopped in Twizel to check details for a our helicopter flight the next day they said they had a slot at 5pm that day. We decided to make the most of the amazing weather and go for it.

 We drove up the side of Lake Pukaki admiring the views of Mount Cook as we went then with in the hour we were in the helicopter, headsets on, ready to fly over Mount Cook (the highest mountain in New Zealand). The flight was breathtaking. It was a physical geographers paradise, flying over glaciers, glacial rivers, towering mountains, exceedingly blue lakes with icebergs in them, a tectonic boundary and many amazing rock formations. 

A few minutes in we stopped off on a snow field so take in the view of Mount Cook and take countless photographs; just in case we hadn't got enough from the helicopter. The 45 minute flight flew by (excuse the pun); I could barely concentrate on what the pilot was saying as I gawped at the breath taking views whilst we zipped between the peaks and along the valleys. It was a truely memorable experience and the best birthday present I could have asked for.
The flight all seemed very surreal by 8pm as we sat in the retro bach eating our chilli con carne then went through the mammoth task of sorting through the photos. This next bach was just North of Lake Tekapo and fitted out in retro 1970s decor; again very cosy.

We had a nice relaxing day on Wednesday, went for a stroll by Lake Tekapo and a coffee but the 30C was too much for us brits so we spent the afternoon in the shade. After trying to finish off the last of the food with our pork we watched yet another great sunset before watching the King's speech.
Next morning we drove to Christchurch where we were staying in a nice 'motel' with a lovely bathroom (2 showers)!
It was 32C so we took it slow and went for a stroll into town through the Botanical gardens.

The gardens were lovely but Christchurch's centre still bares the scar of the earthquake in 2011, making it like one large building site.

As it was our last evening together we went out for a Japanese meal; we were able to sit at the teppanyaki table, it was great fun watching our food be cooked and the chef set the table on fire for us. It was my first taste of Japanese food, other than sushi, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Today my parents left me in Christchurch so I am now a lone traveller again. I was going to meet up with two of my French friends in Queenstown but unfortunately their car broke down so they've returned to Wellington, so now I'm planning my month ahead.

I've had the most amazing time travelling with my parents over the past few weeks; thank you so much for so many fantastic experiences.

It was a shame Tom couldn't join us, I look forward to being reunited in just over 5 months.

Onwards to the next stage of my adventure!