Sunday 11 November 2018

A sunny day. With a bright blue sky. An amazing contrast against the bright white snow across the mountains. Shame we didn’t have this weather yesterday!

I had to leave my usual bus today – they changed the itinerary and now have an additional night stop between mount Cook and Christchurch. I don’t have time for that, as I am flying out this evening.

So plan B. Getting an intercity. But the intercity don’t deviate off the main road to come into mount cook village. So luckily there is a small shuttle which runs a connection.

It was meant to pick me up at 10.15am. But it didn’t arrive until 10.30am. Not leaving much time until the 11.15am intercity!

The route was the same 50 minute journey away from the mountains, past the bright blue lake again.

We got to Twizel town just as the intercity bus was arriving – so made it with a few seconds to spare! Lucky.

The intercity was full. So I didn’t get a window seat, which was a shame.

I thought this bus just went from A to B. But this driver liked photo stops! A few minutes later, we were stopping at the glacier lake for photos of mount Cook! At the far end of Lake Pukaki, the same lake that I was at yesterday, in a different place.

Around an hour later, we arrived at Lake Tekapo. We have a lunch stop here – not long, just 35 minutes. But enough for a short walk around the lake.

I think I’ve been to a lake every single day so far!

Then around 1pm, back off again.

We arrived back into Christchurch at 4pm. I collected the rest of my luggage that I had left a week ago (all my dive kit). Then had a long wait until my 8pm flight to Auckland.

That’s the end of my little road trip around the South Island. I definitely needed more time – I missed out quite a lot of things. Will have to come back…!