Day 154 : The Beautiful South

High Point : The best roads for a very long time

Low Point : Losing at Risk to Chris and Amy

No Point : Spending far too long trying to tune the radio to listen to the cricket but not being able to find a station

Ridiculous Alarm Clock : 5:45am

Christmas Feeling : 1 out of 10

Lack of Sleep : 3 nights in a row with only 4 hours sleep

After spending 9 days on a boat, I ended up on boats on my first and second day in NZ, I really am an old sea dog. The boat today was the Inter Island from the North Island to the South Island. The early start was not particularly welcomed but needs must as a big day ahead, and what a cracker. Text book FTFE stuff as we smashed through some serious miles whilst lapping up some awesome scenery along the way. The drive from Picton to Franz Josef is 600km of beauty in every direction. Fascanting stuff as each corner brings with it another vista that stands tall with anywhere with the world. One (of many) annoying habits I have is that I like to relate the local geography to some where else. Well today I was supposed to have a day off that habit but I couldn’t help myself as the South Island seems to be a compilation of many many places. In 600km it felt like we had driven through Devon, Cumbria, Cornwall, the south of France, Columbia, Laos, Siberia, Spain, Scotland, Ireland, Switzerland, Italy, Canada and Vietnam. An ecceltic treat and Martha loved every second of it.

Our journey today took us through what felt like a theme park, the theme being the 1950s. Each little town we passed through looked as if it had been frozen in time for the past 60 years.  The houses, the service stations and even some of the cars seemed to be from a by-gone era.

It was Kate and Chris’ first taste of a marathon day in the truck (15 hours). Games of risk, quizzes, shouting, singing and attempted snoozes, it was all there. My new hobby from 3pm each day now to see how much I can goad Chris, he seems very receptive so far.  We have a little bit of tinsel in the back but the only downside to being the other side of the world is that I don’t feel Chrismassmy at all. Time to bust out our Christmas CD tomorrow I think.

Up early tomorrow to smash up Franz Josef Glacier. Forecast is stinky… rain rain go away!

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Thanks

Steve

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