I’m sorry to say that our little trip to New Zealand is pretty much over ?

We have had a lovely time topped off with another scenic drive – from Queenstown back to Christchurch yesterday and then today spending the day in Christchurch.

After I posted the blog on Tuesday evening Dave and I wandered down to the creek that flows through the property where we were staying. Dave practiced skipping stones (an unknown talent ?) and I decide to have a paddle! Even though I only went in ankle deep I could not believe, even though warned, how bloody freezing it was! It was so cold it was painful and I only lasted long enough for Dave to take these pics –

(gotta add here – I don’t normally get ‘cold feet’)

The drive yesterday was over 500km long and took us quite close to Mount Cook – the highest spot in NZ. I was surprised to see quite a bit of snow on the hilltops, even though it was a sunny 25c.

We stopped for lunch at Omarama for some, you guessed it, seafood chowder (average and luke warm ?) for me and a date scone for Dave.

Later in the trip we made another pit stop. This time for the thing Dave has been searching for the whole holiday – a cheap hair cut. At $15 NZ it was the right price, and even though I was concerned with the Barber’s name… they did a good job.

Christchurch seems to have a few good restaurants and after much considered research (what else was there to do on a 7 hr drive ?) I choose ‘Fiddlesticks’ which was a pleasant 15 min walk from our hotel. This was a great meal to finish off our trip, no chowder in sight!

Dave enjoyed his slow cooked spiced lamb rump with cous cous and his warm bread platter, I loved the salmon tataki with fennel for entree and pork belly with duck fat potatoes for main. A little blue cheese finished off the meal for me, and for Dave two scoops of house-made ice cream, served in separate cones! Today we got up and organized early and drove along some beach side suburbs and then to the Christchurch Gondola. What excellent views of the city and the port of Lytteton. Morning tea up the top as per my FB post.

In case you were wondering Mazda 3’s are a little uncomfortable when you cover 1830kms in a week. So next stop a very good pressure point Massage for me. If you’re wondering whether Dave missed out – no he didn’t – last stop before we headed to the airport was the NZ Air Force museum ?

We stayed at the Ramada Apartments in the city last night. Chose for no other reason then it had both a washing machine and a dryer. We had done some hand washing along the way on this trip but no bulk washing – all now done and ready to go! Does anyone else choose hotels on the inclusion of washing facilities?