Looking back on our Adventure

Now we have been back for a couple of weeks from our South Island Odyssey, it’s time to look back.   We were away for 10 weeks and traveled 5220km, 3019km was towing the caravan, and the other 2201km was spent exploring while the caravan was safely on site.  All this travel cost us $1582 for diesel.  As well, we spent $226 on LPG (6 fills) to run the fridge, stove and hot water cylinder when we were parked on non power sites.  In fact, we were only on power at three of our stops.

We were away for 77 nights and the average cost was $9.50 per night.  It was interesting to look back at the variety of places we stayed at, 36 in all for the 77 nights.  Of the 36 sites we stayed at, 21 were “new to us” on this trip.  We stayed at NZMCA Parks, POPs (park over properties on private land), parked up behind several hotels and clubs, stayed at one Motor Camp and spent Christmas with Robin’s sister and her hubby on their small holding in Nelson.  Gemma was terrified of Kaye’s chickens when they were released from their chicken coop and  ran around the property. She was enjoying time outside safely on her harness and lead when the chickens saw her, flapped their wings in fright and let out terrible squawks!  Gemma ran back quickly inside the caravan, no doubt wondering just what were those awful noisy creatures?

Jan and Kaye at Nelson

I went to four quilt shops as we traveled around, all very nice in their own way, and I really didn't go overboard with my purchases.  Annie's Country Quilt Store was particularly nice, set in a lovely old cottage in Ashburton.  So much to see there, I’m sure I didn't do it justice, well aware that Robin was waiting outside in the car, on yet another hot sunny day.

Annie's of Ashburton

And what about the laundry?  We all know that just because we are on holiday, the laundry still needs doing.  We went to the laundromat 17 times over our holiday, with prices ranging from $2 to $16.  If I could just do a wash and take the clothes back to camp to hang on the line, that’s what I did.  But often I had to use the driers as well, when it was drizzly or wet, or in other cases when it was inappropriate to hang washing outside to dry, such as when we were staying at hotels and clubs.

 

Knitting at the laundromat

Son Michael lives in Christchurch and we managed several visits with him, including two café lunches at the very interesting former “Rest Houses”, now cafes, built close to the walking tracks zon the Christchurch Hills.   I took him along a gift of a camera cushion, I thought he would like it as he runs a small photography business.

Mum and Michael

And we couldn't tour the South Island and not go to Dunedin to visit my old school friend Merilyn, we go back such a long way.   It’s always so nice to meet up again with old friends, things just pick up again, almost as if we hadn’t been apart at all.

Out to lunch with Merlyn and Colin in Dunedin

There’s no doubt that we had a marvelous time, saw wonderful scenery, especially on the West Coast, Southern Alps and Central Otago.  The weather was marvelous too, sure we had a few rainy days, but mostly it was warm and sunny, real “blue dome” days.  Highlights would be the Milford Sounds and Underwater Observatory Trip, Glowworm Trip, the Tree Top Walkway, Buller and Hokitika Gorges. 

Treetops Walkway and Buller Gorge

And the scenery – Pancake Rocks, and the setting sun, lakes and mountains.  Beauty was everywhere.

Gorgeous scenery

I took two knitting projects along, knitted in the car now and again, but put it aside when we traveled through some of that breathtaking scenery.  My Noah’s Ark stitchery was worked on occasionally, sitting under our shady awning on lovely sunny days.

 

Stitching at Manapouri

You may remember that while we stayed at the brand new NZMCA camp at Kaiapoi we were interviewed by a journalist for the local weekly newspaper.  And look, we are famous!  Our photo appeared and we are quoted in the newspaper as travelers from Levin, giving our good opinion of this lovely new camp.

We made the local South Island newspaper

The only downsides were Robin having an issue with his leg, so we came home a couple of weeks early.  As it turns out, he doesn't have cellulitis after all, rather some type of vascular problem.  We just wonder what those two courses of antibiotics were doing, since there was no infection, hopefully he is squeaky clean after all those pills he swallowed!  And the never ending ferry problems which affected so many people.  On our trip down our afternoon  ferry was cancelled and we were rebooked on one leaving at 2.00am, take it or leave it, we were told.  Weeks and weeks of ferry problems followed, break downs, trouble with getting bookings, and by the time we were due to return home again, once again, the ferry was cancelled.  But, we were offered a life line when we were placed on standby with no guarantees, a little scary, not knowing if we would manage to get aboard.  Thank goodness we did, although now we are home the news items continue with stories of customers stranded for weeks, or boarding as foot passengers and having to leave their cars behind.  We certainly were lucky indeed to get home when we did.

On board the ferry

Thank you all for coming along for the ride, and sharing in our South Island adventures, it was good to have you along.  There is no doubt about it, the South Island is a fabulous place.