February 24
Lake Tekapo to Christchurch
The cloud had thinned a little when I first peered through the curtains but it still wasn’t the clear blue sky that I am used to seeing here.
The room had a spa bath, not something that I normally use, but I gave it a go. I think the soak in the hot water did me good whilst the bubble making bits created lots of noise but didn’t seem to aid the healing process.
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I had a basic breakfast, checked my emails and returned to the seat in the porch to appreciate the view. After a bit more diary writing, I loaded the car, paid my bill and left town. On the outskirts there were signs of major new development, with a large subdivision under construction. I hope that this doesn’t prove to be too intrusive.
The road away from Tekapo is always something of an anti-climax. This is where “wild New Zealand” ends and my journey returns to the relative ordinariness of the foothills and the Canterbury Plains. The road falls down the hills, through Burkes Pass and into Fairlie.
This has an English feel to it, with many imported trees planted along the streets. A “Peace Avenue” was planted here after the First World War and this gives the town much of its current character.
In the centre is a statue of James Mackenzie, after whom the Mackenzie country was named. He was a typical Scottish sheep stealer but exceptional in his ability to live off the inhospitable high country. He served time in jail for his exploits and then left New Zealand. What happened to him after this is not known. It is 150 years since he was captured and celebrations are being planned. |
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There is a stretch of undulating country between Fairlie and Geraldine, which offers nice views over the fields to the more serious countryside in the background.
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At Geraldine it was hot and full of coaches. They use it as a stopping off point between Christchurch and the mountains, which does wonders for the local economy but makes the place very busy. I bought some sticky plasters for my increasingly sore heel and a posh bacon sandwich at the pub. This was consumed under an umbrella in the garden, almost English style.
On the way out of town, I spotted a fruit farm sign and turned off the road to buy a box of peaches for my friends in Christchurch and a box of apricots for myself. The lady assured me that the latter would taste bad if eaten raw but would make excellent jam. By the time I find out, it will be far too late to do anything about it!
Once on Highway 1, the driving became both hard and dull. The road is straight, flat and busy. I reached Ashburton, ran into Farmers, the department store, and found a pair of sandals on the “sale” table for $5. These were just what I needed to remove the pressure from my heels, so I made a quick purchase, left the store wearing them and returned to the car.
The rest of the journey passed uneventfully, I managed not to get lost in the Christchurch suburbs and reached John & Anne’s house on schedule.
By this time, my heels were very sore so I re-dressed the worst one, managed to walk about 500 metres down the road to the local Thai restaurant and had a meal. It wasn’t the best Thai food that I have ever had but it was cheap and good value. The rest of the evening passed quietly as I tried to ignore the pain in my feet.
| Next Day |