The short flight to Christchurch has taken us to a country very different to Australia although I had always thought of them as being similar. New Zealand is smaller and the people are friendlier. The Australians were not rude but did not seem to go in much for conversation whereas here the locals seem to just enjoy finding out where you are from and proudly talking about their town and the local attractions. There is a quality of having time to take which is a luxury we lost years ago.
Our camper van is basic (and looks very small compared to some of the luxury beasts on the road) but it is big enough for the two of us to sleep comfortably and make an all important cup of tea. But size is not important when it comes to camping sites and even the most basis are equipped with indoor kitchens, tables and toilets. Our first night was a spontaneous stop at a site in the mountains at Arthurs Pass run by the national park which cost the equivalent of £3 per night each and was an ideal spot for a first bit of mountain walking in New Zealand.
But mountains here are different and I had not appreciated how much bigger they were (confusion between metres and feet) and I am now a beaten man. I went up Avalanche Peak a man and came down a mouse! It was not just the 1300m up which was relentless and without enough zig zags for me, it was the really scary ridge (with quite stunning views) towards the top and I confess that my wobbly legs and mind gave up 150m short of the peak. Liz was not amused as her shorter legs had had to travel twice the distance. The walk back down was very quiet!
I am sure we will get over this and go on to have more adventures together. Might have to rethink the Franz Josef glacier experience though.
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