South Island with Mum

Mum arrived at Christchurch on the 11th about 11:30 pm so nothing was done apart from heading to a hostel to sleep.
The following day on the 12th it dawned grey and raining so we just spent the day going around firstly the cathedral, it was only a short distance from where we were stopping and built using local stone and timber it took some 50 odd years to complete ( due to lack of funds) from when the few settlers established the town back in 1850's to about 1906ish, and then after a cup of coffee we got on the old Tram, after a bit of a high step to get on, and set of at the wonderful speed of about 20kph around an inner city loop. We got of to have a look around some craft shops and then took the tram back to the quaint little regent street and walked back just avoiding the latest downpour.
On the 13th we left Christchurch and headed down the banks peninsular to a beautiful little place called Akoroa, which has some wonderful old building and a picturesque lighthouse, for which it seemed to remain sunny. After elevenses we got back on the road and headed south to Dunedin, where we arrived late and had to search around for a hostel eventually finding the YHA which was converted from an old hospital build in the 1800's and designed by some architect who's apparently built many similar buildings around the town.
Also this is home to a cadburys chocolate factory and a magnificently grand and ornate train station.
the next day was a much more pleasant dawn and we left Dunedin heading south again down the east coast to the Catlin's, an area of great beauty which runs across the south coast to Invercargill. As far as towns go this one should probably be avoided except for its only apparent redeeming factor, the beautiful Queens park and botanical gardens.
From Invercargill we headed north and slowly climbed the foothills and up the valleys to Te Anau, a most attractive town by a crystal clear lake, with snowy peaks, and unfortunately snowy roads which prevented us from making the journey onwards to Milford Sound.
We stopped at a modern and well equipped hostel and waited around on the 15th hoping for an improvement from the snow which much to our disappointment didn't happen. When the road was closed for the 3rd day this being the 16th we packed up and headed to Queenstown where i meet back up with a friend to reacquire some climbing gear that had been misappropriated due to mutual error and I took mum to explore the little settlement of Arrowtown which was established in the gold rush when many Chinese migrated to test their luck and their fortunes, most of these came from Guangdong so must have had a real shock when they experienced the cold and snowy winters which must have been a real hardship when one looks at the shacks and the remains of the little village they setup just outside the main town. A late lunch was had in Arrowtown and we headed back to Queenstown hoping for the clouds to rise so we could get a view of the town by going up the gondola, this unfortunately wasn't to happen and to insult us a bit more it decided to snow.
The 17th dawned and we headed north Past the much quieter town of Wanaka and up highway 6, and with the aid of chains to get through some snowy sections of road we made it to Haast after some spectacular views from the snaking road of the lakes and surrounding countryside and it appeared that on the west coast we had well and truly left the bad weather behind us and made our way over to the Franz Joseph Glacier which unfortunately isn't a patch on what it used to be but then what glaciers are nowadays.

We left the Frans Joseph behind us and headed up what is apperently one of the most scenic sections of highway on the south Island heading past "the road kill cafe" at Puka as the locals call it. Renowned for its possum pie. Yum Yum.
It was a bit to early for lunch but i picked up a pair of trousers for the princely sum of $1 (bargain) and we headed up to Pancake rocks which is well worth seeing. we were then left with a good few hours of driving to go before getting to the north coast at Motueka, where we spent the night and today went to the Able Tasman National Park, we were once again blessed with beautifully sunshine and spent the better part of the day heading by boat up the coast past sandy beaches clear waters granite boulders, one in the shape of a split apple, and also fur seals and cormorants, which were sat sunbathing not a care in the world.
Tonight we are stopping at Picton before getting the ferry across to the north Island tomorrow. It must be mentioned that the Hostel is one of the best yet, it even has free chocolate pudding and ice cream, gets my vote although with all this driving and sitting around I'm liable to start getting fat. mind you i could have a shave and a hair cut which would probably make me a few pounds lighter.
Well thats the first week traveling with Mum, an Automatic car (which im growing to hate) and about 2500km. will this car survive... i may just have to dump it in the ocean..

New Zealand.

well I made it to New Zealand, after another night in another airport, i love thermarests.
i made it to Christchurch late evening on the 22nd, where i spent two nights and a rainy day wandering around before i got a cheap rental van, $5 per day plus $15 booking fee and spent two days traveling south, i was fortunate enough to meet a Korean lad who was happy to share the fuel bill ($130) and we set off to Queenstown via some stunning scenery which had us stopping frequently to take photos, (will upload when i find a machine which recognizes my hdd),

This appears as the home of extreme sports, although they are fairly extreme on the pocket as well. A 45m bungee jump costs about $160, that's probably over $50 per second, a bit too much for my wallet although i may be persuaded to go skiing if i can find any reasonable prices. I'm not holding my breath.

Well Wanaka was on the way so we headed past there for a few more vistas of snowy peaks and rolling hills and lakes. Its all starting to remind me of a cross between the lakes Scotland and Norway, shame that the prices are no better. however in land of over 40 million sheep and just 4 million people I cant complain too much, the vistas are great the towns are not that intrusive and I have found proper beer, but can't afford to drink it.
Hobgoblin and Black sheep are $8 a bottle. ouch. and other beer is about $6 a pint.

I spent today, my forth day in New Zealand, wandering up a Via Ferrata that leads to the top of queens town hill, it took just over 1hr and I recall seeing a sign that said something about private land and that i wasn't aloud beyond a certain point to access the Via Ferrata.

They obviously didn't realise that an 8ft high fence and a bit of barbed wire wasn't going to stop most folks and as this was 15 minutes up the path so i wasn't prepared to head back down. besides i figured if anyone asked i would pretend i was German and didn't speak english.

Well no one asked and I enjoy a fine view from the 900m summit, across the town below and the lake beyond to a horizon on snowy peaks.
A pleasant stroll led back down to town through the Douglas fir, the familiar smell of pine and resin reminded me of adventures past, the alps, dolomite's, Scotland, Norway, and in many ways this land seems so similar, i would like to just set off into those hills and keep walking, climbing and absorbing the wonders of the hills once again.

Tomorrow i plan to head up the Ben Lomond track, although some of it is supposed to be closed and from my view early today i could see plenty of snow above 1000m so i probably won't take the summit track as i unfortunately i have no winter gear and I'm not about to start spending money for it here.

Will upload the photos later and with luck will get a few good shots tomorrow.