Guro and Caroline Blog

Back to Christchurch with sore knees and tested nerves!

Hello all! What are you up to?? we've had no comments in so very long its getting sole destroying! starting to think we're getting very boring..... but i'm sure you're actually just busy?! will be a shock to be back in less than a month and have better (well, other) things to do than play on the internet all day!
But anyway, we got to wanaka safe and sound and found a busy campervan site for the night. we used the cute apres ski feel of the place as an excuse to head into town for a glass of mulled wine infront of a roaring fire before dinner :) The next day we headed up the mountain with our free 'Ezy' lift pass and our cheapo rental snowboards from town very excited as the weather was beautiful!... unfortunately the 70cm fresh snow only seemed to have fallen on the upper slopes leaving us scraping ourselves painfully off icy green runs, giving our bums and knees a battering! disheartened we stopped for lunch and gave in... we hired skis for the afternoon - an expense we couldn't afford but it was that or waste the day. The afternoon was great, the top unpisted section hit the spot and we managed to forget the dismal morning enough to start talking about snowbaording again!
From here we spent a day driving through gorgeous scenery to Franz-Josef. We hiked a bit in the haast pass and found a great site for the night - a retreat with a lovely free outdoor hot-tub/spa :) and a 2 hour happy hour at the bar, again with lovely roaring fire!
Next day we blew our remaining budget learning to climb ice. you only live once eh?! we had a guided day hike/ice climb combo on the franz glacier and it was amazing. gorgeous day, fun climbing, great group. finish it all off with a spa and you've got 2 very happy campers!
From here back to Fox glacier for a couple of 'tramps' (kiwi for hikes) - good, free entertainment with great views. Lake matheson provided unrivaled reflections of mount cook which were enjoyed with a flask of hot tea! A days driving via Arthers pass brought us back to Christchurch - we nearly went caving on the way until we realised it meant waist deep ice water. instead we recomended mark and emily try it and tell us all about it! From here to fiji in 2 short days. and then sorta home via the US if we can find any accomodation we can afford! now is the time for any unknown contacts, relatives, friends of friends friends to come out of the wood work and offer us a roof in hawaii or chicago - please?!
love to all, olga polga and khazakstan xx

posted by Caroline @ 07:48