Tuesday 26 Apr
Passing Lake Pukaki by 8.30, and we got our final views of Mt Cook, looking spectacular in the morning sun. If not for erosion, the Southern Alps would be about 20 kms higher than they are, but the effects of the constant erosion balances out the uplift caused by the Pacific and Australian tectonic plates.
Half an hour later we saw the Mt John Observatory on the skyline. It is a World Sky Heritage site due to the superb night sky viewing conditions. Lake Tekapo, our next photo stop is one of the most scenic places in the country (which is saying a lot!), and often features on calendars. The town is one of the fastest-growing in the country, but has extremely strict lighting regulations due to its proximity to Mt John.
Next on the list was the Church of the Good Shepherd, which is known for its spectacular view through the altar window. However the church does not now open until 10 am, and we were on the way again before that. There is a notice to say that photography in the church is no longer allowed anyway, so that was a slight comfort.
Just before 11 am we arrived in Timaru (currently the second-largest fishing port in the country - who knew?) for a morning tea break. We had been mentioning shortly before that how hot the bus was getting, and while we went off, Ellen & Wayne checked for a problem. We returned by mid-day to find we were also stopping here for lunch while they got a mechanic to replace the broken belt which had caused the problem, and after further delays, we were finally on the road again by 2 pm. Although there is never a good time for these things to happen, we were all grateful that we were close to a main town for repairs, and that Wayne keeps a full set of spares on board. A couple of us were really sorry that this delay meant that we did not get to stop in Geraldine for lunch, me for family history reasons (it is where Mum’s father grew up), and Lorraine because she had planned to meet a friend for lunch there.
We drove straight on to Christchurch, with only a quick comfort stop, and arrived at the Garden Hotel only about half an hour late.
After a quick drink, Zhang Ji and Silas arrived to collect us for dinner. We stopped to collect Francesca from her orchestra practice and got to watch and listen to the last 20 minutes. Then home to Ilam for a delicious dinner, and a bonus chat to Sharon in Perth, who had rung Anne-Marie to say hello.
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