Our trips

16.10.06

This Web Album covers the story.

As we set out a new day a mountain was there. We didn't see it before because it was covered in clouds. The mountain was white pretty far down.


As we drove closer to Arthur's Pass more snowy mountains appear from behind. The clouds there were about 6 mountains, each one with snow on it. After we crossed a lake, we began our journey to Arthur's Pass. We stopped to see Mt White bridge. It was a bridge that crossed a messy river, so we didn't go all the way. I saw a large railway in the distance. Tnen I saw a long train go past, it was a freight train. The cargo it was carrying seemed to be liquid (I guess it was rather coal).



We saw frozen trees on the mountains.



We stopped for tea and coffee at the Wobbly Kea. Then we reached the pass. We stopped by a marsh and a kea came near us.



We were feeding it and when mum got some cheese it snatched it off her and flew away to it it.



Here is the end of my daughter's diary, so I have to continue myself.

15.10.06

This Web Album covers the story.

Today we arrived on a plane to Christchurch. There we rented a campervan from Pacific Horizon.



The weather is fine, sunny, with lots of wind. We traveled to the centre of the town. There are some gardens that look like a piece of paradise. There is a river where you can get taken a fancy boat or you can go kayaking.



There is a wintergarden with waterfalls. It is really peaceful. In the door next to it is a summer garden with lots of beautiful flowers. It leads to a cactus room. As you may have guessed it is full of cacti. Last comes the fly eater plants room. It is full of different and strange fly catchers.



Now we are travelling to Arthur's Pass, but we will stop at Castle Hill Village. It started to rain on our way past some large mountains with snow on them, but it still sunny (sometimes)!



We camped by a large lake. It started raining hard. We didn't reach Arthur's Pass (this day).

This blog is about a 5-day travel from Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand to Auckland, North Island, by motorhome.
Every year when the summer season ends the rental car companies need to move their motorhomes, campervans and cars back to the starting points. Last summer some sport event caused that thousands motorhomes were moved from Auckland to Chirstchurch. To get them back the companies offer so-called Relocation Deals, when you can rent a motorhome or campervan for only $1 per day. You have limited number of days to make the trip and sometimes limited mileage allowance. More details can be found here.
So our family decided to use this opportunity to visit South Island where we had never been before, and also try this new way of travel. We booked a 6-berth motorhome, flew to Christchurch and rode the vehicle to Auckland through the Southern Alps, across the Cook Strait and along the country roads of New Zealand.


This is a story about how this happened.
My daughter wrote the diary, so she is the main author of the following posts with my comments marked in italic.

This Web Album covers the story.