Back home

Arrived back home in Canada a few hours ago.  I hope the pictures gave you a taste of a country that needs 3 months of travel and not simply 3 weeks.  It is a beautiful place with terrific people.

Some notes:

- Thanks to Collin who towed us out of the soft sand on Bayley's Beach.  I found him far up the village hill chatting with friends on a front lawn.  He told me to jump into his 4WD truck and then chuckled at me as I began to climb into the drivers side (the steering wheel is on the other side in NZ).

- Thanks to Mike from Ireland who put us onto Keresone Creek (not in the Lonely Planet guide).  An entire natural creek that runs with hot water from the springs.

-  It was nice to meet (another) Collin from NZ who I met in a grocery store near Wellington.  He was wearing a Saint John, Canada hat.  He and his wife said they had been there on the cruise ship.

-  Thanks to Singh and the Wicked Camper Co in Auckland who promptly gave us a new van when our Atheist van began acting up.  The Chuck Norris van was more my style.  The Atheist did not suit me.  To Singh, best of luck in NZ with your family.

-  Thanks to the unknown farmer who gave us the tip to camp under the bridge in Takaka when we found out that the road to the camp ground we were headed to had been washed out in a flood.  We could have done without the 4 wheeler piled with impaired teens who visited us in the night.  We did get to "live in a van down by the river" however and that was worth it!

-  Thanks to the lady in Russell who did all she could to help Nick find an old acquaintance.

-  The best hostel we found (we didn't stay in many) was the Global Village Hostel in Greymouth.  Great place.  Of course we might also have to include the night in 'jail' in Christchurch.

-  Good luck Miss Bliss, a singer we heard from the street.  She is from Australia.

- Good luck Bob with your mountain climbing.  Maybe someday you will be able to tell us why all those shoes are on the fence in Takaka.

-  My favourite place ... too many to count but the 19 km on "the crossing" is up there (no pun intended)

-  If you go to NZ you have to stay at some DOC campsites.  Great 'out of the way' locations.

-  When the Lonely Planet guide book says the caving at Harwood's Hole is for experts, they mean it.

-  The 500m mining tunnel at Broken Hill's Gold Mine is worth the tramp but NOT the hike further up to the lookout.  It is all grown up with trees and you cannot see anything.

-  Thanks to Nancy, Brenda and Adrian.
 
-  Thanks Nick, for going to NZ.  I really enjoyed our time together seeing the country.