Cold New Zealand

I am now in New Zealand and for the first time I am feeling the cold as I have not been away from the hot sun for 10 months - it is bad. I landed in Christchurch and spent three days there sorting out my bus ticket, where I was going and the best way to do it. Christchurch is a nice city and some of it looks very English. The rest looks Australian or American, but I had fun walking round looking at the sights. The art gallery is not bad and there is a nice river that runs through it where you can go punting.

 

My bus ticket is with the Magic bus group. It covers both the south and north islands and cost $527 NZD (£200), so is very good value. The first leg was on the amazing Tranz Alpine train which is rated as one of the top 10 rail trips in the world. I travelled from Christchurch to a small town called Greymouth on the coast of the Grey, river hence the name. Today was about 10 degrees Centigrade and tonight I could see my breath. We stopped at a town called Arthur's Pass, 737 metres above sea level, in the snow topped mountains where the platform was covered with ice.

 

I went out for a few beers last night with a few guys from the Neptunes hostel. For my birthday I chilled out during the day then went out to a bar called the Railway Hotel as they had a big screen showing the first Lions rugby game. I talked to a English couple called Janet and Jeff that now live in New Zealand. I have managed to get a ticket for a Lions game, (not a test game), with a local team in Dunedin on the 18th of June. That should be good as this is the best ground to watch rugby at. The ticket has a face value of $70 NZD and only cost $75 NZD (£30) so it is good value.

 

I will be leaving Greymouth on Monday morning and going to Franz Josef glacier next so lots of amazing photos to come. Still having fun but missing Dany a lot. It seems strange her not being there when I do things, plan things or see amazing sights. Will be home soon so will be able to bore you all with my stories and 'photos. Talk soon.