It was the start of a new travel group on our Kiwi Experience tour of the North and South Islands. We saw more beautiful scenery on our way to the Alpine Stopover. That day our route took us through Lindis Pass, Omarama and the Canterbury Plains. After a pleasant meandering journey we eventually arrived at Mount Cook where we would be staying for the night. The accommodation was an alpine hut at the foot of the impressive and imposing mountain. Mount Cook is the highest peak in New Zealand at 3,753 metres.
That afternoon a group of us hiked through the valley at the base of the mountain where we found plenty of grey rocks and green vegetation. With rope bridges and streams it was an idyllic retreat from the outside world. Gioa (pronounced Joy ah) a girl from Germany and Kevin from the USA were good company. We were all impressed with Mount Cook and our surroundings even if it was just for a brief stay.
Early the following morning I woke up to a room full of snoring companions and decided to go out for some fresh air on my own. I had been with crowds of people for the last few days and although I am not a hermit by any means, it was good to have a bit of space and peace for a few hours. It was a particularly beautiful morning with a clear blue sky and watching the sunrise over the snow-capped peak of Mount Cook was an experience I would not forget. It was nice to say goodbye to the place privately, it was not long before we were back on the road.
Lunch was at Lake Tekapo, a place in pristine condition and very picturesque. The beautiful scenery is a recurring theme to any trip around New Zealand, so if I sound like I am repeating myself, believe me it was aesthetically pleasing wherever you were. The bus took us through more countryside before stopping at Christchurch. We had a farewell drink with Gioa and Kevin at the bar of the hostel and that evening chatted to Kim and Tiffany, two girls from Toronto. It was very helpful to get their insights of their home city, as it was the last stop of our World trip. It also helped that they were beautiful but in an unselfconscious way. Both were typical outdoors women who thrived on adventure and extreme sports. Ben and I were a little in awe of them by the end of the conversation.
After a good nights sleep and a few hours on the coach we arrived at Kaikoura renowned for its Whale Watching. Situated on the North East coast of the South Island it seemed like a pleasant seaside town with a nice buzz to it. This was to prove to be one of the highlights of the whole trip.
We met some new people again: Joanna from Surrey, Petra from Switzerland and Karen from Philadelphia. They were a lot of fun and conversation came easily to all of us. We were all after the same thing: to see some whales! We did not have to wait long. We boarded a boat with an enthusiastic crowd of tourists and set off to find that beautiful giant of nature: whales.
In just over two hours of very pleasurable sailing we had three whale sightings! The whales are magnificent creatures; despite their huge size they move gracefully, especially when they dived. I also spotted dolphins and seals. With the weather beautiful all day it was an episode to savour. After being stuck on coaches for several days it was wonderful to be out on the open ocean watching nature firsthand and up close. I was on a high for the rest of the day.
The evening was spent at the ‘Sonic Pub’ in Kaikoura. Karen who was extrovert and a little older than the rest of us said to Ben and I that she could arrange accommodation for us in Los Angeles as her brother and family lived there. This was excellent news and although we were a little wary (we had only just met her that day) Karen seemed to be on the level and staying at someone’s home was preferable to staying at a hostel any day! I liked Karen, she was very young for her age (late thirties I guessed), witty, well travelled, and sophisticated as well as a breath of fresh air compared with a lot of prima donnas and plastic action heroes we had encountered so far. She seemed to be the real deal.
What goes up must come down as we all discovered the following morning. The bus journey to Picton was hot and uncomfortable even though the scenery was pleasant. Along the way we spotted lots of deer and livestock. At Picton we boarded the ferry to Wellington and the North Island. During the journey we all chatted, played cards and wandered around the top deck. Later in the day Karen confirmed that it was okay to stay with her brother in Los Angeles and to top it all he would meet us at LAX Airport. What a result! I was floored by her kindness and it was a big relief not to have to worry about accommodation arrangements for that leg of our World trip. Apparently David, her brother was in construction and lived in a seven-bedroom house in Monrovia, a suburb of Los Angeles. How’s that for landing on your feet?
When we disembarked at Wellington I confess that although buoyed by Karen’s news I was not overly impressed with the city. To me it was like any other city in the World. I chatted with Maria, an attractive girl from Argentina on the bus to the backpackers. She helped me brush up on a few handy Spanish phrases (My GCSE Spanish had not gone to waste then!) and gave me a few pointers on travelling in South America. I was meeting lots of helpful fellow travellers and it really did feel like a community of its own.
That evening a crowd of us went to a Western theme bar, the interestingly titled ‘Fat Ladies Arms’ and an Irish bar: ‘Molly Malone’s’ that had a great atmosphere thanks to its patrons and a live band. It was a good way to end a day of travel, we had a long day on the road to look forward too the next day. It was great to see New Zealand but there was not doubt that it was a whistle stop tour!