Mountain High

Having cultured our palates, Leslie and I set off down the eastern shore towards Christchurch. We had no definite accommodation plans, figuring we would stop at one of two places for the night, whichever struck our fancy. There is a noticeable difference when driving the coastal roads of the South Island versus the North. You are literally on the coast. Right side high towering mountain ranges, left side drop to the sea. If you ask Leslie, sometimes that drop was a little too close for comfort. (She will claim four near death experiences. I will claim none.)

On the advice of our Seresin Cellar Door host, we stopped at a place called "The Store" for lunch. Typical of so many New Zealand cafes, it is right smack in the middle of nothing. Claiming to be a "Pacific Coast Experience", at first glance it looks like any other quaint cafe/novelty store. Walk out the back door and you realize why it can make this claim. Miles of crystal clear, blue Pacific water greet you with open arms. Phenomenal.

Hopping back in the car, we drove the short 45 minutes to our first potential stop for the night: Kaikoura. Known for its whale-watching expeditions and excursions that allow you to swim with the dolphins, both of us found the wee town a bit touristy. Given that Leslie was not keen to swim with mammals, and no two-legged mammals were available to guide such an excursion even if I had wanted to go, we decided to drive on to our next potential stop: Hanmer Springs. Touted as a geothermal hot spot with established pools in the middle of the central mountain ranges, we found Hanmer Springs more memorable for the drive to get there then the actual spot. Flanked by fields of glorious green pastures dotted with thousands of roaming sheep and lambs prancing on newly found legs, we soon realized why New Zealand gets its reputation as a land of awe-inspiring beauty, actually stopping in the middle of the road at one point to watch this idyllic scene unfold along the hillside with background music composed of baaing lambs heard from afar.

We used our stop in Hanmer Springs as a relaxing refresher for the days ahead, each partaking in a series of beauty treatments and short walk to overlook the town. In combination with the preceding days drive, we couldn't be anything but rejuvenated for the next segment of our trip...