I have a yearning to see Mount Cook/ Aoraki a bit closer this time so I make a long day's drive down most of the length of the island and stop off at Lake Tekapo for the night.
On the way to Mount Cook in the morning I stop at the visitor centre at the beautiful glacial green Lake Pukaki.
Mount Cook from Lake PukakiDriving up the road to Mount Cook is very reminsicent of Scotland, albeit on a slightly bigger scale. The drive is made all the more exciting by my bank. Yet again, despite informing them where and when I'd be for the next 3 months they have put a stop on my card to prevent fraud. This made the purchase of petrol impossible, and because of the time difference I won't be able to speak to them for about 10 hours. Phone credit on my mobile has also run out and I can't use my card to top it up. I only have 115 dollars in cash. It's also now Saturday so I can't get Mandy to put some cash in my Aussie bank account, and I can't speak to her anyway because my mobile has run out.
I am now very much in the middle of nowhere with maybe enough money to get me back to somewhere. The sensible decision would have been to just try and get back to Christchurch and wait till I can speak to them, but then I won't have enough time to get back to Mount Cook, and, much as I like Christchurch I don't want to spend my last 3 days there if I can.
So, maybe rather stupidly, I head further into the wilderness. But I've got the 'Iceman' to sleep in and food and water, so it's worth the risk.
The risk is worth it to see the glacial lake at the bottom of the Tasman valley. Again, it's hardly pretty but still quite humbling, as the vastness of the gouge in the land testifies to.
From here on it's back to Christchurch which I manage on the last fumes of the petrol tank. vThe bank are chastised and I settle in for a relaxing couple of days in a full size bed before heading back to Australia on Monday afternoon.
New Zealand is ace!
I am now very much in the middle of nowhere with maybe enough money to get me back to somewhere. The sensible decision would have been to just try and get back to Christchurch and wait till I can speak to them, but then I won't have enough time to get back to Mount Cook, and, much as I like Christchurch I don't want to spend my last 3 days there if I can.
So, maybe rather stupidly, I head further into the wilderness. But I've got the 'Iceman' to sleep in and food and water, so it's worth the risk.
The risk is worth it to see the glacial lake at the bottom of the Tasman valley. Again, it's hardly pretty but still quite humbling, as the vastness of the gouge in the land testifies to.
From here on it's back to Christchurch which I manage on the last fumes of the petrol tank. vThe bank are chastised and I settle in for a relaxing couple of days in a full size bed before heading back to Australia on Monday afternoon.New Zealand is ace!
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