We had a whole day in Akaroa to goof off (and not drive)! On Tuesday afternoon, we went to the i-site to reserve two 2-person kayaks for 10am Wednesday. We made sure to arrive on time at the docks all sun-screened only to find out that the kayaks were still out on the bay. They arrived back about 10:15 and we were off, life-vests on, by 10:20 to wander in the harbor and local bays for up to two hours. None of us had experienced a two-person sea kayak with a rudder before so the rear occupants (Clare and Laura) got admonished quite a bit for not steering well (it is not easy and/or the rudder mechanisms were not correctly adjusted). Of course, both paddlers can steer with the paddles to some extent.

Clare trying to steer with her feet (there are pedals).

Laura and Checkers paddling in the harbor.

A small cave controlled by the geology and mussels on the rocks.

Birds on the far side of the peninsula away from the harbor.

A juvenile bird? Very fuzzy!

Eventually we returned to our condo, covered in sea water, tired, and happy. We lazed around in the afternoon (churning out blog posts) and went out for our last dinner in New Zealand. Later that night, Laura and Checkers went on a walk towards the nearby light house.

They also discovered a forest path and decided to explore.

Wandering around, there were many paths that all criss-crossed through the woods. How strange! After making their way back to the coastal road, they discovered a sign stating that the area was actually a park. With three cemeteries inside.

Naturally, even though the sun was quickly setting, they dived back into the woods to find them. Spooky!

This is our last night in New Zealand. It has been an amazing three weeks. We hope you have enjoyed reading about our adventures!
*****Written by Brian and Checkers*****

After scrutinizing the fog for so long last night, we finally found what we were looking for. The mountain! Mount Cook! While in our little cabin that night, the sky finally cleared.

Epic! A mountain you can see from miles and miles away. A mountain that has claimed many lives. On our way to breakfast that morning, we got a few more shots.

On our drive back out of the valley that morning, we got a few more.

And a few more.

Every time we made a turn on that windy road, we said goodbye to the mountain. Around the next turn, we found it yet again! Its persistence was formidable. We had another mountain to see, however, so eventually we left Cook behind.

We were determined to squeeze in one final Lord of the Rings sight on our journey. We drove a long way on a dirt road to find it. And it was worth it.

Do you recognize this hill? How about if you imagine the great city of Edoras and the Golden Hall of Meduseld built upon its summit?

The roche moutonée is actually named Mount Sunday, but to us LOTR fans it was naught but the capital of Rohan. Although we could not see it, we also knew that the site used for Helm’s Deep was hidden somewhere in the mountains beyond.

Wow.

Today was one of the longest driving days we had–the giant detour really didn’t help–but we did see some incredible landscapes.

*****Written by Checkers*****

Lake Pukaki, the biggest turquoise blue lake we have ever seen, covered the lower part of the long, wide valley on the way to Mt. Cook.

The drive was lovely, as we drank in the colors. Also on the way to Mt. Cook, we stopped at a place called “Clay Cliffs”, which could be a sister to our own Bryce Canyon National Park!

In Bryce Canyon, the layers of clay are horizontal, while here they are at an angle. And, not all the “hoodoo”s have caps on them, implying to us that they might not last as long as the Bryce Canyon formations.

Another difference is not much greenery can be found in Bryce Canyon!

Mt. Cook itself was in clouds when we got to the end of the valley, so we went for a hike in one of the adjacent glacial valleys. See the blue in the ice, similar to the color of the lake?

And, the stepstone lines will become waterfalls as the glaciers retreat.

The kids found a monument on a side track, and I took a photo from the main track. Some things never change! On another walk on the same day, we viewed glacier accompanied by a glacial lake with floating icebergs.

And of course, on the way back down the trail, we found a small side trail through the thorny bushes that led to a smaller series of lakes less discovered. It was mostly a well groomed trail, but sometimes it turned into a sharp glacial rock field with no warning.

Worth it to see this jade green lake though!

That night we had a lovely dinner near our cabin, trying in vain to see the mountain that the village was named for. Where are you Mt Cook? Why is there so much fog?

*****Written By Clare and Laura*****

 

After some longer days, all of us were looking forward to two nights of peace in one place without stepping foot in the car. And Wanaka was the perfect setting for it. A ski town in the winter (remember that’s June) and a resort style lake town in the summer, the beautiful village offered a lot for us to do. We did have a much deserved sleep in though, and thus missed the windless morning and our second attempt to kayak was thwarted by monstrous gales. Oh well. So we took pretty pictures on the lakefront instead!

We had a tourist map of the main town, and on it was a lookout point that was supposed to offer panoramic views. So after the walk along the lakefront we ventured uphill towards the lookout. Turns out it was a huge hill, and we were ill prepared for a strenuous hike, so we set our sights on a random tall hill that was closer. That’ll do.

After getting a light lunch on the lakefront, we went to the store and found lamb steaks to barbecue for dinner. Our little town home was spacious, had its own deck and grill. Very nice!

*****Written By Laura*****