The Drive South from Christchurch
I have combined two days because not enough
happened in one day to deserve an entry, but two days, thats a different story.
Sunday I awoke at the hostel very early. Once again plans to attack the day
early quickly fell apart. However this time it was not my fault.
I have combined two days because not enough
happened in one day to deserve an entry, but two days, thats a different story.
Sunday I awoke at the hostel very early. Once again plans to attack the day
early quickly fell apart. However this time it was not my fault. Now I have
already explained that I needed to stay in hostels for the rest of my time in
New Zealand in order to balance those two nights in the Crown Plaza. So when I
awoke this morning and quickly found out that there was no hot water in the
hostel I began reconsidering my self imposed accommodation downgrade. To
quickly solve the issue the owner arrived with a propane tank from his home
grill and hooked that up to the hot water heater. It seemed to do the trick.
However after I called a few rental car companies looking for a car, and looked
at maps of New Zealand, I found myself at the back of the que for the shower.
Luckily the little propane can that could held together long enough for me to
get a hot shower.
Within a short time I was leaving the hostel with intentions of walking to the rental car company. I should have known from my previous experiences in New Zealand so far that my comprehension of distance on a map was not my best talent, so when I found myself still nowhere near the rental car company an hour later I began to doubt that I would ever reach it. However, after a break for lunch, and about 20 minutes more of walking I found my destination. The price was a little steeper than the last place I rented from but in the back of my mind I thought if I was paying more maybe this time I wouldn't take left turns into on coming traffic as quickly as the last time. After having a discussion with the owner of the company about Formula One racing and getting a quick walk through all the broken items on the car, I pulled out of the car lot hoping this time would be different.
After stopping by the hostel to pick up my bags, and going by the internet shop to update the website, I headed out of town. First I headed in the general direction that i thought I was supposed to be going, and maybe its the different hemisphere, but once again I was dead wrong on the directions. After finally consulting a map I found myself driving out of Christchurch in the direction I was supposed to be headed.
There was really not that much to say about the drive. The only thing of note was possibly one of the most beautiful sunsets that I have seen in quite sometime. I have to place this sunset up in the ranks of the Semiahmoo, and Hope Springs sunsets. Of course almost none of you have any idea what I am talking about on either of those but just imagine your own top sunsets. The sun was setting behind the New Zealand alps and as the sun lit the clouds you could just see the snow capped mountains descend into darkness.
(Of course this doesn't do it justice, and most windows users probably can even see it.... BUY A MAC!!!!)
Once the sun had set I made my way to a Hostel on Lake Tekapo. I had a great discussion that night with a brit who left his job as a banker to become a landscape designer about american attitudes towards life, work, and the enjoyment of both. We were talking about the european attitude towards ones job, and compared that to the New Zealand attitude. Of course we were generalizing, but he having lived in the UK, Hong Kong, and now NZ talked about his experience.
That next morning I woke up and drove out to the lake that was about a quarter of a mile from the hostel. Once again the beauty of the area was amazing, and weather could not have been better. Lake Tekapo, like many of the lakes in the area was feed by springs, mountain snow, and glaciers so the water was a deep blue. However it was the snow capped mountains that surrounded the lake that made it so magnificent.
I left the lake and headed south towards Central Otago where the next day I would be visiting the wineries. About half way there I took a side road that said there was a salmon farm at the end of it. While I had no intention of going to the salmon farm I guessed this road may give me a better view of the mountains range to my west. I could not have been more lucky. This road turned out to be a alternate route that went along the shore line of Lake Pukaki. Across the lake the a little north was Mt. Cook. and all along the opposite side were the Alps. Over the next hour I stopped a few times to take pictures from different angles. At one point I stumbled apon a park where some campers had painted on the sides of rocks.
I continued the trip down towards the Central Otago region. I stopped in a small town where I had a great lunch at Clay Cliffs winery. Over a wonderful glass of Pinot Noir (which strangely was not their own) I had a incredibly flavored piece of steak that was at best described as chewy. After a call to my father for his birthday I got back on the road. Before sunset, and after a failed attempt to find lodging in Alexandra, I ended up finding a cabin in a campground in the town of Cromwell. Everything in Alexandra and almost all of Cromwell was sold out due to the boys field hockey national tournament. I ended up grabbing dinner at the local hotel and bringing it back to my room (which had three channels of TV) to watch an episode of CSI Miami and infomercial for Windsor Pilaties. Ah, a little taste of home.
(A view of Cromwell from across the gorge)
Within a short time I was leaving the hostel with intentions of walking to the rental car company. I should have known from my previous experiences in New Zealand so far that my comprehension of distance on a map was not my best talent, so when I found myself still nowhere near the rental car company an hour later I began to doubt that I would ever reach it. However, after a break for lunch, and about 20 minutes more of walking I found my destination. The price was a little steeper than the last place I rented from but in the back of my mind I thought if I was paying more maybe this time I wouldn't take left turns into on coming traffic as quickly as the last time. After having a discussion with the owner of the company about Formula One racing and getting a quick walk through all the broken items on the car, I pulled out of the car lot hoping this time would be different.
After stopping by the hostel to pick up my bags, and going by the internet shop to update the website, I headed out of town. First I headed in the general direction that i thought I was supposed to be going, and maybe its the different hemisphere, but once again I was dead wrong on the directions. After finally consulting a map I found myself driving out of Christchurch in the direction I was supposed to be headed.
There was really not that much to say about the drive. The only thing of note was possibly one of the most beautiful sunsets that I have seen in quite sometime. I have to place this sunset up in the ranks of the Semiahmoo, and Hope Springs sunsets. Of course almost none of you have any idea what I am talking about on either of those but just imagine your own top sunsets. The sun was setting behind the New Zealand alps and as the sun lit the clouds you could just see the snow capped mountains descend into darkness.
(Of course this doesn't do it justice, and most windows users probably can even see it.... BUY A MAC!!!!)
Once the sun had set I made my way to a Hostel on Lake Tekapo. I had a great discussion that night with a brit who left his job as a banker to become a landscape designer about american attitudes towards life, work, and the enjoyment of both. We were talking about the european attitude towards ones job, and compared that to the New Zealand attitude. Of course we were generalizing, but he having lived in the UK, Hong Kong, and now NZ talked about his experience.
That next morning I woke up and drove out to the lake that was about a quarter of a mile from the hostel. Once again the beauty of the area was amazing, and weather could not have been better. Lake Tekapo, like many of the lakes in the area was feed by springs, mountain snow, and glaciers so the water was a deep blue. However it was the snow capped mountains that surrounded the lake that made it so magnificent.
I left the lake and headed south towards Central Otago where the next day I would be visiting the wineries. About half way there I took a side road that said there was a salmon farm at the end of it. While I had no intention of going to the salmon farm I guessed this road may give me a better view of the mountains range to my west. I could not have been more lucky. This road turned out to be a alternate route that went along the shore line of Lake Pukaki. Across the lake the a little north was Mt. Cook. and all along the opposite side were the Alps. Over the next hour I stopped a few times to take pictures from different angles. At one point I stumbled apon a park where some campers had painted on the sides of rocks.
I continued the trip down towards the Central Otago region. I stopped in a small town where I had a great lunch at Clay Cliffs winery. Over a wonderful glass of Pinot Noir (which strangely was not their own) I had a incredibly flavored piece of steak that was at best described as chewy. After a call to my father for his birthday I got back on the road. Before sunset, and after a failed attempt to find lodging in Alexandra, I ended up finding a cabin in a campground in the town of Cromwell. Everything in Alexandra and almost all of Cromwell was sold out due to the boys field hockey national tournament. I ended up grabbing dinner at the local hotel and bringing it back to my room (which had three channels of TV) to watch an episode of CSI Miami and infomercial for Windsor Pilaties. Ah, a little taste of home.
(A view of Cromwell from across the gorge)
Posted: Mon - August 18, 2003 at 09:32 PM
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Published On: Aug 01, 2004 11:37 PM
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Published On: Aug 01, 2004 11:37 PM