Rain Rain go away..

Didn't tell you that Paul cut my hair, did I! Very successful. There will be no stopping him now. (Please see current photo of my mum below lol)

Roxburgh is in the middle of a cherry-growing area, we bought some, very expensive, but the best ever, huge & sweet.

Mon 9th December.

Woke to find it raining, all the residents had gone to work as they are all fruit-pickers. Wet cherries.

On to Alexandra - spoke to travel agent who checked that our flight from Christchurch is still scheduled, so we don't need to reconfirm it. With some difficulty, found the 'Shaky Bridge' (why are there so many shaky bridges?)

Paul had fun making it wobble. (typical) I watched from the shore! (again, very typical lol) We drove to Twizel over the Lindis Pass, brown bare high hills, very bleak - and still raining. But lots of lupins at lower levels.

Lindis Pass:

Found a pleasant hostel outside the little town, alleged to have great view of Mount Cook - actually not. Thick cloud. Interesting Czeck man plus daughter staying, much chat. Lots of other soaking wet bods arriving, we lit a log fire and all dried off.

Tue 10th Dec

Still very low cloud, so we abandoned our trip to Mount Cook - it would have been a bit pointless.
On the way east stopped to look at an enormous earth dam, the Benmore Dam, the largest in the Southern Hemisphere.

Drove round the quiet side of Lake Aviemore (everybody here came from Scotland) which was absolutely beautiful, and it stopped raining, sun came out.

After several stops to admire birds etc. we were hailed by an elderly couple who told us that he had seen a car in the water from his fishing boat and could we take him along the lake to have a look? Did so, found a smashed-up blue Honda, but fortunately there was nobody inside. The number plates had been removed, so obviously stolen and joy-ridden into the lake.

We reported same to very laid back policeman in the next little town, no question of filling in a form or anything like that, just said he would 'pass it on' - Good on'ya.

We then turned off to cross-country on a mostly gravel road over the Dansey's Pass. It was quite hair raising for a long while, and we thought we had 'done' the pass, when a notice announced that we were just entering it!!!

Up and up we went, into the clouds, thought we would never come down.... but we did. Hardly saw one car on all the way.

At Naseby, a well-preserved gold-mining town, we could not find suitable (i.e. cheap) accommodation, so we went on to Ranfurly and booked at the Old Post Office backpackers, which we had to ourselves.

Extremely helpful couple running it, another log fire. I am using the computer in the information centre, which is in the old railway station.

We shall go on to Dunedin and probably stay 2 nights there, maybe on the Otago Peninsular where there are penguins, albatrosses and so on.

So, no more until the next thrilling email!!
Lots of love mumbo.