Since I last wrote, we've been on the move! Left Queenstown early in the morning and took a bus to Fox Glacier. Where the weather did not work in our favour. The recent rains had closed the walking tracks to the glacier and the day's clouds were thick & low, obstructing good views of the glacier and mountains near by.
Sara went to Lake Matherson and walked around it, ever hopeful the clouds would "burn off" as everyone promised they would do in the late afternoon . . . well they didn't but the walk was still beautiful and the reflection photos with the sunset on the clouds was beautiful.
Next morning boarded the bus up to Greymouth, where we boarded the Tranzalpine train to Christchuch. It's a 4.5 hour trip, over 231km, 19 tunnels, a 73m viaduct, and at it's highest point is 737m above sea level! Amazing scenery on this train trip! Spent the night in a hostel in Christchurch, before getting up early to catch the 7am Transcostal train from Christchurch to Kaikoura.
10am, arrived at Kaikoura, all whale watching trips were cancelled due to the high winds (120kph gusts apparently) so we spent the day browsing the shops. Next morning at 10.15am, we boarded the Transcostal train again for a 2 hour trip to Picton.
Picton is the town where the ferry leaves from to go to Wellington. For those of you not familiar with NZ geography (don't be embarrassed, I didn't know until looking at a map once I got here) but there are 16km between the south (which I'm on now) and north island. There isn't a bridge or tunnel, cause the Cook Straight is so deep they can't build one! The straight is also considered one of the 4 most dangerous to cross because the weather can change so fast, one minute it can be as calm as glass and within an hour can have 4m swells - or so they tell me.
Today's adventures included a boat tour of the Queen Charlotte Sound - very beautiful!
Tomorrow is the 3 hour ferry to Wellington.
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