Captain’s Log: Twizel to Christchurch then Authur’s Pass, Day 42-45

Hi All,

Can’t believe it has already been 6.5 weeks…..but, we do see the end is in sight and Kathy did let me know she is definitely tired of the suitcase:))))

Christchurch: Our perfect weather for Mt Cook quickly ended the morning/afternoon we drove to Christchurch…..cold, rainy and windy…..we were getting the aftermath of TC Pam, the one that did tremendous damage to Vanuatu…..it was bringing heavy rain and south winds from Antarctica….brrrr!!! It was supposed to be a beautiful drive but all I saw was the pavement and my white knuckles:))) We got in late afternoon and just decided to hunker down in our little apartment/hotel and have a popcorn/movie night and write up the Mt Cook blog while Kathy did laundry…..it was a combo unit….took 2.5 hours for a wash & dry….she had 3 loads…you do the math…..joy:))))

The next day was still cold and windy but we had a full agenda that we only got partially through. We first went to the Antartica Center. This is supposedly one of the best Antarctica centers and we have to say it lived up to it’s billing. Parts were a bit touristy (like a 4D theater with special effects…a rocking chair to simulate being at sea….NOT…way too gentle…and spraying water in your face mimicking the sea….once was funny, but by the 6th time it was just silly/irritating. But, it had great displays, information and videos/movies of the history and current research….we spent over 3 hours and are still convinced Antarctica needs to be on our “bucket list”.

Next was to the Earthquake center for information on the big earthquakes of 2010 and 2011. “Christchurch earthquakes of 2010–11, also called Canterbury earthquakes, series of tremors that occurred within and near the city of Christchurch, New Zealand, and the Canterbury Plains region from early September 2010 to late February 2011. The severest of those events were the earthquake (magnitude from 7.0 to 7.1) that struck on September 4, 2010, and the large, destructive aftershock (magnitude 6.3) that occurred on February 22, 2011.” The 2011 caused massive damage to the city center and killed 185 people. There is an Earthquake display where it describes the earthquakes and how the city is attempting to rebuild. There is still a lot of controversy on the rebuild plan….reminded us of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake that hit SF hard and all the issues (politics and finances mainly) that occurred trying to rebuild!! We then found a nice, warm restaurant for a late lunch….we soon discovered it was St Patrick’s day….oh, that is why everyone is in costume/green….duh!!!! We then attempted to walk around the city center and see some of the abandoned buildings and new construction and the Cathedral Square (huge controversy over rebuilding this iconic cathedral and while the debate goes on, it is fenced off with the damage clearly visible). Gee hon…..are you cold….what makes you ask…I just have on every piece of clothing I brought and my lips are blue…oh, thought maybe you might want to call it a day…bonk…ouch:))) So, we hustled back to the car, got back to the room and cranked up the heat….John ventured out later for some delicious Thai take away!!!

The next morning it was partly cloudy, not as windy but still cold. We went to the Canterbury Museum…wow, what a find and maybe the best museum we had been in since the Te Papa museum in Wellington. We spent 2 hours and could have spent another hour or so…Maori history, natural history of all sorts of animals and another really good Antarctica Display (Christchurch is the port that supports the New Zealand research facility at Scott’s Base and and the American McMurdo station on Ross Island).

Wilderness Lodge: Arthur’s Pass: We stayed at the sister lodge in Lake Moeraki and now are at the
lodge near Arthur’s Pass. This is an eco-lodge started by Dr Gerry McSweeney and his wife almost 20 years ago. Dr Gerry is one of the leading conservationists in NZ and has done a remarkable job with this alpine forest and sheep farm. We spent 2 days in luxury accommodations while going on several hikes in the beech forests full of many native birds and plants/trees, kayaked on a glacier lake, and then spent time with the manager of the 3000 sheep farm….saw dogs working the sheep, fed many of the orphaned lambs and then saw a sheep getting sheared while learning about the sheep (meat and wool) business. Just as in Lake Moeraki, another highlight of our South Island road trip!!

Today we made the drive to Kaikoura on the east coast where we hope to do some more hiking and are scheduled on a whale watching boat to see a sperm whale (that will be a first for us, but the seas are still very rough from TC Pam and the boat has not been out for 3 days so we shall see!!!)

Stats:
Traveled: 250 miles today; 2950 miles total; that’s almost 5000 km!!
Hotel: Christchurch: Delago apartments; just ok with a funky combo washer/dryer
Wilderness Lodge: Arthur’s Pass: 5 stars, pricey but worth it!!!
Wrong Turns: Zero, total 9 (my talk with the powers must have worked:))))
Turned into wrong lane: steady at 3!!!
One-Way Bridges: 20, now 240 total!!!
Food: Lamb rack at the Lodge; CO quality (right up there with Bad Bob’s!!!)

Hope all is well!!

John

PS: Cargo still scheduled to leave LA on March 22 and ETA Auckland is April 4th
PSS: Looks like we might end this roadtrip in about a week so back to Mystic around March 27th