Well, we’ve spent a week and a half travelling around the North Island, and I have to say that I’ve loved every minute of it. Sure, everyone stares at the van, but we’re used to it now. Besides, good old Ginge is doing a grand job of get us from A to B, C, D and E.
After a very sedate start in quiet Christchurch we were relieved to find more people and goings-on on our way. We’re looking forward to seeing the north and east sides of the North Island over the next week and South Island thereafter, given what we’ve seen already and what we’ve heard and read, it will blow us away. We enjoyed a private jet boat ride on the Wanganui River Road (only because no-one else was there) which was so beautiful and quiet, apart from the 360 degree spins. Pat suggested we do the Tongariro Crossing and I was so glad he did. It was a hard 18k slog and we were exhausted at the end, but it was out of this world to see the volcano-scape and sources of inspiration for the Lord of the Rings films. I couldn’t help coming up with ‘My precious’ and ‘Oh Frodo’ lines walking through parts of it! Looking for something relaxing the following day we took a cruise on the Barbary on Lake Tuapo. That was great and Pat had a chance to steer, despite the whitterings of an annoying drunk Aussie couple. And the other day we went to see the famous Waitomo cave glow worms, doing a spot of abseiling, caving, climbing and blackwater rafting in the process. That was great fun and absolutely freezing some 65m below the surface. You’ll see the pics soon – we look absolute fools in what we’re wearing…..and doing.
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