We carried on down the coast and chose the scenic highyway to Dunedin. What beautiful scenery.
We made one stop at the Moeraki Boulders...these made over the millenia through sedimentary action and remarkable because they are perfectly round. After a quick stop to see them, we continued along the coast soaking up the scenery. We took one short walk at Karitane through a Maori sacred site to give us a rest from the twisty road which curves continuously to follow the coast.
Our drive from Mount Cook was a difficult one. We were leaving after a fantastic experience and the weather closed in so it got quite dreary. We were also very tired, so it was long to get to the coast. We travelled through rolling hills covered with agriculture of one type or another. On a sunny day it would have been splendid scenery. We decided to stop in the first place where we could find a hotel, as we were not anxious to pitch the tent in the rain. After a couple of hours we were in Oamaru, a very lovely coastal city with a population of about 13,000 and with many hotels. We passed each hotel and motel and b&b on the way into town and also in town and they all showed "no vacancy"...sigh...Paul went into one hotel and was referred to a b&b which the hotel attendant (many thanks to Dave ) knew about. We made our way there and found ourselves at a very lovely home off the main street. We were greeted by Lyn and Murray who were delightful! They took us weary travellers in and gave us such tender loving care, it was a balm to the soul! We had a lovely room and I was so happy to have running hot water...well...I could gush but I won't. Lyn and Murray let us stay for two nights and this gave us a chance to visit the area.
On our first day we visited downtown Oamaru. It is a beautiful town with very notable buildings built in a Victorian style. These are constructed from Oamaru stone, a lime stone which is quarried close by. We were really grateful to have a bit of a down day to recharge our batteries a bit and thanks to internet at the b&b we were able to Skype with Katie and Janice and to catch up on our emails. Murray invited us to go on a road trip out to see the country side. It was really lovely, rolling hills with farms and limestone formations. Murray is a retired farmer although after talking to him, I am not sure retired is the right word as he volunteers his time on several farms and continues to grow his own vegetables and to raise sheep on a lot behind his house! Having lived in the area his entire life he had extensive knowledge of the history and the farming practices. He took us to see his family farm (five forks) which was huge and which is now managed by his children and their families. He also took us to see the elephant rocks, rock formations which are reminiscent of their name-sakes. When we returned, Lyn had prepared a meal which we were invited to share with she and Murray. It was incredible! We felt so lucky and feel so grateful to our wonderful hosts! (Thanks Lyn for letting us use the laundry and for the great grandmothering advice!) On their suggesyion we went down to the harbour front at 9 pm to see small blue penguins come in from a day at sea! It was very special.
At eight o'clock in the morning we got a call to let us know that the heli-hiking tour was a go for that day and we got ourselves ready and were at the meeting point at 0930 sharp where we met up with 8 others who were also on the tour. Charlie (the tour guide) is an expert mountain climber and is very safety concious so he gave a thorough briefing, reminding us that a glacier is no triffle to take for granted, but rather 700 meter thick ice which is always moving and changing. He issued each of us with a safety belt and ensured we had the right footwear and cold weather gear. Then we were off to the local airport where a helicopter was waiting. We went in two groups and the helicopter ride was spectacular! The views of the glacier and the surrounding mountains were second to none, esepcially as the sky was blue and the sun bright.
Before we knew it we were disembarking onto the ice. It is hard to describe...one minute we were in the baking sun and the next we were on this unimaginably imense ice field with a cool wind blowing. It was surreal. The ice is humped and rivulets of water run over its surface in places, giving it a "wormy" look. Charlie gave us all crampons which we put on to give us traction on the ice and with a hiking pole in hand the hike began. We saw so many unusual and spectacular sights...huge cravasses that were 200 meters deep, incredibly blue "holes" on the top of the ice with clear water in them, ice caves and waterfalls spilling into crevasses and holes that disappeared into the ice right at our feet. It was incredible.
Charlie found a large crevasse with an ice cave at its end and we climbed down the side and followed the tight ice walls to the cave and then climbed in. It was very exciting. We learned that the Tasman Glacier is the largest in New Zealand and it is retreating quickly. A huge lake has formed at its teminus in the last 25 years as the ice melts and the glacier shrinks.
Paul has long wanted to ski on the Tsaman Glacier, but this was not to be as it can only happen in the winter. This hike was the next best thing and we were very privillaged to have experienced it.
After two hours of tramping on the ice the helicopter returned and we headed back. Despite having slathered on the sunblock we were both burnt, and very tired by the end. We relaxed a few minutes and then struck camp and headed out...en route for the coast just as the clouds came in and rain began. Our timing was perfect as we got the tent in before it got wet and we were well on our way by the time the rain arrived.
Aour day started with a disappointment. The tour we had booked was undersubscribed, and so it was cancelled. We were advised to wait until the next day on the chance that we might be able to go then. This left us with a day with no plans. We could have remained at the camp site, but the cold night had turned into a very hot day and it was hard to find a shady spot for a relaxing day. We decided instead to go for a hike in the Hooker Valley.
This was a wonderful hike. A ten kilometer round trip which passed beautiful mountains, crossed rivers of glacial run off on huge suspension bridges and ended at a lake formed by the melting of the Hooker Glacier. It was spectacular and by the time we returned it was time to take care of our meal and then to hunker down for another night.
Our day started with beautiful weather and a lovely breakfast overlooking beautiful Lake Tekapo. We packed up our tent and assorted equipment and made our way toward Mount Cook National Park.
As we approached we could see the mountains soaring ahead of us into the bright blue sky. Glaciers could be seen creeping down the mountain peaks. It was breathtakingly beautiful. It was a scorching hot day, and we enjoyed the warmth while we registered in the very basic department of conservation camp ground. It was most unusual in comparison with national parks we are used to. The sites are not really deliniated and are in large grassy areas. Many campers travel in "camper vans" so they set up in the parking lot. Picnic tables are located, not at sites, but at communal kitchen areas where campers gather with their cook stoves in hand to prepare their food. There are many travellers from around the world, so one hears many languages in the kitchen area.
We made inquiries and discovered that there was a heli-hiking tour available which was very appealing as it would address one of Paul's long held desires-at least in part. He had always wanted to ski the Tasman Glacier, but had not been able to when he lived in Australia forty years ago. Being in New Zealand in the summer made skiing impossible, so heli-hiking was the next best thing. We made arrangements to do this the next morning.
By the time we arrived and took care of details, we had time for only one short walk so we found a short trail which led to the Tasman lake, formed by the melting of the Tasman Glacier, then we made our meal and cleaned up and settled in for another cold night under very clear skies. The stars were again spectacular, but we spent a few scant minutes admiring them as we knew that the night would be cold and we wanted to get our beds as warm as possible before the full cold of the night settled in.
We were on our way to Mount Cook when we came upon Lake Tekapo, a beautiful glacial fed blue lake. The weather was beautiful and the water looked almost impossibly blue. We stopped to admire also impressive as it was one of the many locations used in the filming of the hobbit! As we continued on our way to our intended destination, Mount Cook National Park, we drove by a sign advertising Mount St. John...an observatory on the plain between mountain ranges. There was not a cloud in the sky, so we took the turn and went up the hill. It was magnificent. The scenery was breathtaking and the telescopes were out. We saw the sun and venus and got our first look at Mount Cook which was visible above the surrounding ranges. Then we learned that we could come back at night and view the stars...but only if we took a tour, as access is restricted at night. We jumped on the chance and so...our plans changed on the spot...Mount Cook would have to wait.
We found a spot in the only camping ground in the area and set up our tent for the first night of the "great camping adventure". It took as a while to figure out the intracacies of our brand new tent, but we shortly had the beast tamed and were ready for the tour.
We left at 8:30 pm and were taken by bus back to the observatory, where we saw the last vestiges of the sunset. It was marvelous! In short order Venus and Jupiter were visible low on the horizon. I was already awe-struck, and the best was yet to come. While the sky was darkening, we were taken into the MOA observatory where we saw the 1.6 meter telescope! It was huge and so impressive. It is being used to search for planets outside our solar system. We learned that St. John is a) the most Southerly observatory and b) the gold standard of dark skies due to its location between Mountain Ranges and the dryness of the environment...(it being close to desert conditions). Later, we were escorted back outside where telescopes had been set up and the sky was dark above us. It was magnificent! The Milky way glowed so brightly, it was really so impressive and looked so different. The southern cross was clearly visible and so were some constellations we can see at home, including Orion and Sirius, but UPSIDE DOWN! This should not have surprised me as I KNOW I am in the southern hemisphere, but somehow it did! We saw some other celestial objects through the telescopes-the jewel box (a grouping of different colour stars); alpha centuri; Jupiter and five of its many moons; the Orion Nebula and the new stars nestled in it and; most notably perhaps, we saw the large and small magellenic clouds!!!! What a beautiful sight! Paul had the good fortune to see a large and persistent shooting star. I wanted to stay all night and watch the sky change...but sadly the tour ened and we had to leave.
We returned to our campsite, and discovered that although there is a great advantage to being in the desert, most especially dry skies perfect for stargazing, there is at least one disadvantage...the temperature plumets at night. We shivered our way back to the tent and crawled into our beds, wearing as many clothes as possible!
Our week in Christchurch was wonderful. Our host Jen invited us to spend time with her, her family and friends for a lovely evening; we found a very trendy restaurant amongst the rubble that was once Christchurch centre; we went to a movie (Selma) in a quaint little theatre with a grand total of 35 seats; we finished up our shopping and we spent time with Jen's dog, Louis. It was marvelous. Our accomodations were so comfortable it was hard to leave!!! We hiked or walked every day we were there and put many miles on our feet.
We visited a few interesting spots in our final days on this leg of the trip. One was the "Cardboard Cathedral", so called because it is litterally made from carboard sono-tube type members. It has been constructed to replace the once-magnificent stone Cathedral which was badly damaged in the earthquakes. In a nearby location, on the now emply site of a Presbeterian Church, a memorial has been built which consists of 185 chairs, all different and all painted white. These commemorate the 185 people killed in the earthquakes and is a sobering reminder of the devestation which is ubiquitous throughout the region.
Having completed our prepartions and having throughouly enjoyed Christchurch, it was time to leave and we packed up the car and were off...on the way to Mount Cook.
