MAORI HAKA PERFORMANCE IN CHRISTCHURCH

The beautiful city of Christchurch had The World Buskers Festival on at several venues and locations throughout. We decided to go and see some local Maori's who would be performing the Haka and singing traditional Maori songs. It was fantastic! The songs and the singing were heavenly and they were all very entertaining. We stayed in the centre, Cathedral square for most of the day. The buskers were all very entertaining. Back at the hostel we got to know some of the guys who had been there a while and who also had already travelled to where we were headed. We were given some great advice on where we should go and what to do there. The main thing we discovered in this hostel and the others is that "Noodles Are King!" They are so cheap and everybody eats them. The nearest supermarket to the hostel was a good 20-30 mins walk away so Bethany and i set out to find it while Metra just chilled out. Of course i managed to get some beer and some lovely cheap beef for the curry that Metra wanted to cook. The curry was a huge success and as usual there was plenty to go around. We put a sign on the huge pan saying "beef curry for anyone who wants it. it will only go to waste if not eaten!" Every so often someone would pass us with a plate of food and say "Thanks!" The curry was a definite hit.  We had a great time walking around the city and taking in all the sights and the buskers. This was the favourite place so far for all of us. Bethany especially liked the hostel and being around people who were of a similar age and who were travelling. We were all having such a great time and loads of fun.

Tuesday morning and it was a 15 mins shuttle to the airport to collect the campervan. This was very exciting for all of us as we have never done anything like this before. It was going to be fun watching Bethany trying to store her suitcase somewhere! After an age sorting paperwork and vehicle checks out, it was ours and we were off. 

  CAMPERVAN CHOICE NUMBER 1   VERY FUEL THIRSTY! NOT VERY  AERODYNAMIC!

CAMPERVAN CHOICE NUMBER2. WEIGHED DOWN AT THE BACK WITH BETHANY'S SUITCASE! REMAINS OF UNFORTUNATE CYCLIST ON FRONT!

The highway code system is fairly similar to the UK. Drive on the same side but pedestrians have right of way at most junctions. At the first junction where i needed to turn left, i almost drove over a few pedestrians who were quite happily walking across the road at their right of way. I offered my apologies and then drove on when safe to do so. The campervan was a 2.8ltr Ford Transit Auto/Steptronic 4 berth. It was not the most modern but it was safe and sound and it was ours for the next fortnight. 

"Road Trip! Vegas Baby Yeah!"  Sorry wrong trip and film.

Right! After stopping at the nearest supermarket to load up with beer and foodstuffs, we were off. We decided to travel across to Greymouth on the west coast and see what's what from there. The journey along highway 1 to join highway 7 was superb. We were waving at all the other campervans we saw. Some were polite but others weren't so! Highway 7 was a fantastic road which took us into mountain country. After only a few miles I had already ran out of adjectives for what I saw! It was just how people had described it too us and some. With every turn there was another spectacular view of the landscape and what lay ahead for us to travel through. I must admit that before arriving here in NZ, i was not really looking forward to all the driving but, i was loving it. Driving in NZ is not boring at all!  We made our first of many unscheduled stops at some point on the Lewis Pass Rd on highway 7, this was to take in the beauty of the Waiau River which was winding it's way along way below us. For the next 20 mins i drove with a huge grin on my face. After driving up and down, around and inbetween some of the most gobsmacking countryside i have ever been through, we arrived in Greymouth. After a short discussion we decided to head north for about 15 kms to Rapahoe beach and stay there if it was okay. We arrived and it was right on the beach. we parked up, hooked up and began to sort out some food. It had taken just over 5 hours to reach the campsite and we were all very hungry. I got the disposable bar-b-qs out and began cooking. This would be the only time we would use these as they were Rubbish. After our food we walked the 20 yards to the beach to prepare for the sunset. The water was freezing cold but the location was fantastic. After staying on the beach for about an hour we decided to settle in the camper. I had several films on my computer so we would watch one of them. 

The morning brought another glorious start to the day! Even as early as 8am it was starting to get really warm. After breakfast and sorting the campervan it was off to Franz Joseph. This journey was going to take us again, through some of the most fantastic scenery we had ever seen! When we arrived in the town of Franz Joseph we stopped for fuel. I only put in a small amount as it was nearly half the price as much again here. We parked up in the car park at the start of the walk up to glacier. I don't think any of us were prepared for the sight that lay in front. It was about a 15-20 walk through the woodland pathways until we reached the start of the glacial riverbed expanse. From here we could see the front face of the glacier and all the way up to the summit. There were clouds circulating the tops of the mountains. As you looked up you could see the helicopters and light aircraft that were buzzing around. The glacier itself didn't look very far away but, you then noticed that people were disappearing into the distance along the pathways towards the glacier, like tiny soldier ants. The walk along the riverbed was an awesome experience. The noise of the cascading river from across the other side was very loud. As i always do if safe enough, i walk off the beaten track. you cannot always get a different image if you stand where everyone else does! As Bethany and Metra made their way along the path I made my way towards the river. The noise getting ever closer and louder. I didn't know what to expect but then there it was, this torrent of grey glacial water crashing over the boulders and making it's way past me at a truly high rate of knots. The river wasn't as wide as i imagined it to be but, because of it's location it was so much louder. From where i stood on the bank i could see straight up river to the face of the glacier. Still at this point unable to judge it's actual size. As I zoomed in with the camera I could see a line of blue and red moving very slowly along the front edge of the glacier. It was at this point i realised that they were tourists being lead by a guide up the glacier. It was at this very point i realised just how huge this thing really was but, i was still several hundred metres away!

ACROSS THE VALLEY TO THE FACE OF THE FRANZ JOSEF GLACIER.

After spending 10-15 mins as close to the face as we could, we headed back. You are only able to get inside the corden, that surrounds the face of the glacier, with a guide. I can only imagine how wonderful it would be to walk up the glacier. I know i would need to be a darned site fitter than i am now! The walk back to the camper was fascinating for me. All the thoughts of how it must have looked years ago and how it looks when the thaw is on. A sight I would have loved to have seen. As usual i am taking my time as I stop to look at this and photograph that! I am able to get some fantastic images again by being off the beaten track. Some wonderful rock face and waterfall images. I meet up with them a very happy chappy after that walk. During the walk back through the woodland path, as always people are saying "hello" or "hi" as you pass them. I say "hello" to one woman as we pass then i stop and realise that it was Paula Radcliffe! I explain this to Bethany who almost shouts "No? Really? Paula Radcliffe?" It was loud enough for her to turn around and smile as she looked back at us. Bethany did not shut up about her for the rest of the day. Once back at the camper we decided to spend the night down at Gillespies Beach. This was a Department Of Conservation campsite and would be free. We drove through the town of Fox Glacier and then down towards Gillespie Beach. I didn't realise that this meant driving through the forest on a very winding and scary gravel track road. As we entered the forest the huge sign stated EXTREME CAUTION  NO EXIT  narrow road  no turning etc. Like a fool I drove straight past the sign and on into the forest. The road was scary and narrow but. after 21kms we arrived at a very small campsite  where several people were camping and 2 other campervans were parked up. There were no services apart from a toilet which made any festival toilet look like the Ritz! The very short walk down to the beach was amazing. As we approached the edge of the pebbles, the beach spread out before us in every way. It was about 200 metres to where the waves were breaking. The beach went on for miles to the left and right. All over were scattered tree trunks and logs of every shape and size. Previous visitors had very delicately erected towers of balancing pebbles. Some of which were over a metre in height. We decided to have our tea on the beach and again wait for the sunset. By this time there were about 20 others on the beach with us. We bumped into a couple of lads who have  travelling for several months and whom we also saw at the glacier. our time on the beach that evening was awesome, and the sunset even better.

SUNSET SHADOWS OF PEBBLE TOWERS AND TREE TRUNK ON GILLESPIES BEACH.

During breakfast we all decided to stay here at the beach for most of the day as we were going to stay the night in Fox Glacier which was just up the road. After my fry up i went off to explore the beach and all that lay on it! The girls surprisingly decided to sunbathe. I discovered something very important on my exploration of the beach that morning. Sand Flies love the taste of human blood. Like Dave Gahan of Depeche Mode once sang they "Just Can't Get Enough!" This little b'stards would not leave me alone for the whole time i was on the beach. I was bitten all over my legs, back, arms and elbows, hands and even up my nostrils. Luckily for us Bethany had some cream which did help for a while. Not good enough to stop you from waking yourself by scratching! The journey back throughthe forest was better this time and then we stopped on the way to walk up to Lake Matheson. If the weather is right and the wind is very low, the reflections are supposed to be unbelievable. We made our way to the point where you can see the reflections and low and behold they were almost perfect. I set my kit up and got the best images possible. We parked up in the campsite in Fox Glacier and sorted some tea. Bar-b-q steak, skittle potatoes, salad and rice was in order. The surroundings of this site was fantastic. Again we chilled out by watching a movie. This time we decided to let Bethany watch The Hangover as we had been talking about it for so long. I think she enjoyed it!

The following day we travelled down the coast through Haast to Wanaka. This was the longest but by far the most spectacular drive so far! The highway 6 would just keep going up and up for miles and miles then, it would take you over a single track bridge on a very sharp corner. It's a good job i have a head for heights! The journey alongside Lake Wanaka and then Lake Hawea was awesome. I stopped as often as i could and dared because i wanted the image but, didn't want to make the journey any longer than it already was. We finally arrived in lakeside town of Wanaka and stocked up at a store before parking up in another D.O.C campsite in Albert Town by the river. This river was as clear and fresh as any mineral or natural spring water i have seen. The ranger told us that it was very fresh and safe to drink. Thankfully we had plenty of water so did not need to test his theory. The campsite was very pleasant and quiet. Occasionally there would be a boat or jetski go past. The loudest things were the family of ducks that Bethany befriended. The girls spent their time sunbathing and i spent time looking at my images and taking some of the locals jumping into the river from the road bridge. Oh to be young again!

The following morning was the one we had been waiting for, the journey to Queenstown. This would take about 2 hours. On the way, just outside Queenstown, we stopped to watch the loonies and the crazy people bungy jumping off the Kawarau Bridge. This was a sight I will never forget. I have a fear of heights and anything high. I get scared looking up at some things, and this was one of those things. As you leave the shop and go out onto the viewing gallery, the bridge runs acroos the gorge to your right hand side. It is a fantastic looking very old bridge and half way across there is a platform under it which has been specially designed for the bungy jumping. You can if you so wish, go and stand on the bridge above the platform so you have a view sraight down. I decided not to do that but, to go down to the very bottom of the gorge almost at riverside and take my photos from there. I got a fabulous view of each jumper, before, during and after their jump. They all had to pass me on their way back up to the top and one girl looked as though she was just out for a walk. she had just jumped off that bridge with a large rubber band around her ankles but, she looked so relaxed! We all asked eachother who was going to go first but we all said the same thing, %&*$ OFF!

We continued into the town, passing the airport and the alpine apartment suburbs, and on into the centre. Our campsite was close to the Gondola so not hard to find. This was the most expensive of the sites we had chosen but, it was in Queenstown. We parked up, hooked up, cleaned ourselves up and then went off to explore the town. First stop was an internet cafe. Internet is very expensive in NZ and not so readily available. Global gossip was popular with hostels so we kept to that one. We sorted what we needed to then headed off to see the lake and the beach. This didn't seem too bad a place. Lots of shops and places to book all those crazy activities for those people who are clinically insane. It was while here in Queenstown having fish n chips by the beach, that the 2 lads who we first saw at the glacier, and Bethany had christened Robinson and crusoe, strolled by. They stayed to chat for a while then went off on their merry way. We explored the town a bit more before going back to the camper to sort food. Who's stupid idea was it to put the campsite right at the top of a series of steep hills? We went down to the quayside for a drink in the evening and to do some people watching. Once the sun went down the temperature drooped quite a lot. It was enough to make us go indoors. There certainly were some sights to see. A fairly large boat docked which looked like it had been privately chartered. The occupants of the boat were very drunk and loud. most of them walked off, some of them staggered off while a couple of them even fell off. They certainly did entertain everyone for a while, especially the guy who climbed up the street light to drink a beer while hanging upside down. Only to require rescueing by his fellow drinkers as he was stuck. It was very funny to observe them and to watch others watching them! We then headed off back up the hill to the camper. Another movie then sleep.

We did plan to move onto another site this morning but then decided to stay and save the hassle of moving. After a fairly lazy start to the day we were out and about in the town. the first stop was the internet cafe to contact the land of the living. Once that was done the girls suggested sunbathing down on the beach. With sunbathing not being top of my list of things to do, i decided to don my ipod and check out the town from a photographic point of view. I must inform you that the temperature at this point was over 30 degrees and i was hot, very hot! I walked almost from one end of the main town to the other and eventually met back up with the girls. Bethany was asleep and Metra was in the water talking to someone who was leaving for Sydney the next day. We went out again for some  drinks and some pizza's. Don't go to Brazz as it's expensive rubbish food. We suggested watching Michael Mcintyre Live & Laughing. This was the best night we all had so far!

Just chilled out today. Unfortunately we have not been able to do any activities on this trip due to unforseen circumstances. Some of you may already know, some of you will just have to either wait or come to your own conclusions. The girls decided to do some more sunbathing and i fell asleep under a tree. passed by a bar offering 2 for 1 pizzas so that is where we headed for that night. Harry's Bar was a fantastic place. In the winter months the massive fireplace just inside the door to the right would be ablaze while it froze outside. This evening it just looked very wintery as it was flanked by what must have been a hundred logs each side. We sat at the bar and had a drink. No tap beer so it was a bottle  of local cider. Not bad! the pizas were stone baked thin and crispy style which were so tasty we ended up eating 3 of them between us. We then spent a couple of hours playing pool and watching Murray lose yet again to Fedderer, this time in the Aussie open. Agreat night was had by all.

The following morning meant a quick trip to the internet cafe, STA Travel to change a flight, then it was onto Mt Cook. It would take about 4-5hours to get there but the journey is worth every minute so i have been told. Well they were right, the journey was fantastic. We stopped at Peter's Lookout to take in the view across Lake Pukaki at Mount Cook. It was an awesome inspiring sight! I decided to walk down to the beach on the edge of the lake. The lake is a strange colour due to the glacial waters and sedement, a sort of turquoise/light blue colour. At the water's edge it was freaky as you could only see a few inches into it before it became sort of a creamy colour. The reflections on the water were amazing. Eventhough the bloody sand flies were biting me again, the views and the images were worth every drop of blood taken. I could have stayed down there taking photos all day. Again it was very hot, in the 40's we found out later. The images I got from the car park were okay but, not a patch on the ones from the beach!  Our arrival at the campsite at Aoraki Mt Cook was unbelievable. This was without doubt the most spectacular place on earth i had ever been(even better than being in the Devonport End at Home Park!) We parked up and then settled down to sort out some food. It was early evening so there was no point in going walking anywhere as we didn't know how far to go. The evening was glorious until the sun went behind the mountains, then the temperature dropped quite abit. We soon found out that entertainment had been laid on for the enjoyment of all campervan drivers and occupants. 

THE VERY BEAUTIFUL BUT, VERY MISCHIEVIOUS KEA.

The KEA is a parrot like bird which is just a child in disguise. Their behaviour can only be likened to that of a child crossed with a Longleat Monkey. They fly onto the roofs of the campers and pull off everything they can. While they do this they make a noise which sounds like they are laughing. It was funny for the first half hour to hear them and to see them land on the roof. All you can see is their feet as they jump around and bang as they do so. Then you hear them laugh at eachother and try to rip things off. I opened up one of the roof vents only to be greeted by 2 green bird faces looking down at me. That was funny! It was not funny for Bethany when a pair of them decided to have a tug of war with a pair of her knickers which were drying on our makeshift clothes line. They didn't keep us awake that night but boy did they wake us up early in the morning. I first tried to get rid of them with a broom but, as i opened the door to the camper i was greeted by someone with a camera. After a good morning greeting i tried to scare them with the broom. Next came the bottle of water. This seemed to work as i sprayed them with the water. They soon picked on another camper. With the kettle on i sat in a chair and watched the comedy show taking place infront of me. One by one the birds were scared from one camper to another. They didn't care at all, it was all fun and games for these kids with wings. When the girls eventually got up we got sorted and headed off up towards Hooker Valley. This walk would take approx 2-3 hours to complete at a steady pace. With camera &  tripod sorted, bottle of water and belly full of breakfast, we set off along the path towards Mt Cook. 

The first thing we came across was The Alpine Memorial. This was covered in plaques with the names of people who had lost their lives on or around Mt Cook. The latest death I believe was around 2006. We paid it a visit and paid our respects, then moved on along the path. The pathway was fairly easy going over and around small hills. We had to cross 2 swing bridges along the way. I went down by the river to take a photo of the girls crossing it, then it was my turn. I approached it and then just froze. It was by no means high, only about 20-30 ft but, it was high enough to cause me concern. I stepped back to take another photo as a group of four began to cross. I joined the back of their group and just looked straight ahead. How was i to know that they would stop to look over the edge and then jump up and down to make the bridge swing. The lad at the back turned to look at me and saw that i was not amused. He very kindly ushered the group forward and off the bridge. I was not exactly scared, just in need to get off the bloody bridge as soon as! We did laugh about it with them. After about an hour of walking we came across a rest shelter. The girls had gone on ahead just after the swingbridge because i kept stopping to take photos. They waited patiently for me at the shelter until i got there. Now this was the point at which most people were turning back. We were going on but not telling Bethany about any of that! We soon came across the second the second swingbridge which seemed a lot higher. I followed Bethany across this one and just told her to keep walking! When we reached the end of the trail we were greeted by the sight of a glacial lake with huge icebergs floating in it. The water was a thick grey dirty colour and completely calm, apart from the occasional skimming stone from someone trying to hit an iceberg. We stayed around the lake for about 20 mins before heading back. The sun was so hot in the valley, our water had run out just before we got there so we had nothing to drink. The walk back was going to be long and arduous. Bethany went on ahead as she was a lot fitter than Metra and I. There were lots of Hi's and hello's along the way but, no famous people today. I surprised myself by going across one of the swingbridges first. Unfortunately i banged my camera on the bridge and knackered my 24-70mm lens. I was not a happy chappy to say the least. Got back to camper and found out that it was in the 40's again. The only way i could cool off was by filling a bucket of water and pouring it over myself. God that felt good.

THE GLACIAL LAKE IN HOOKER VALLEY, MT COOK.

 Next it was have some food then head off to Lake Tekapo. I wanted to go there in order to take a photo of the Church Of The Good Shepherd which is on the edge of the lake. The reflections are pretty spectacular there also. We arrived in Lake Tekapo and booked in the campsite. It was more expensive to stay here than in Queenstown, with less services also! We parked up and then just chilled as the morning walk had drained us of all our energy. I walked to the shop later in the evening. It was only about a mile each way so not far. Along the way i was stopped by a road worker who turned out to be an ex-pat from Derby. He had moved out there 35 years ago and not been back. He advised us to go up to Mt John and see the views from there. We again watched some movies as there is not a lot else to do in Lake Tekapo.

The following morning brought with it another fantastic sky. We decided to take his advise and travel up to the top of Mt John. The journey was a bit scary as the road is very very steep and the camper only just got up there. If i had had to stop then that would have been the end of it. The views from the top truly were spectacular and you could see for miles. Looking down on Lake Tekapo, which is the same colour as Lake Pukaki, was superb. There was a speedboat on the lake which left a trail as long as it travelled. Even after about 30 mins you could still see where it had been. There are a series of Observatories on Mt john. As the skies are so clear most of the time there, the information gathered there is sent around the world to most universities etc. there are tours and star gazing can be done but we didn't have the time. The journey down was eventful. I thought at one point that the breaks were failing but, i didn't mention it. Back in Lake Tekapo we stopped so i could take a photo of the church. It was not possible as the car park was obscuring the church. Bloody tourists! We started on our journey to Peel Forest. This was going to take us through the quaint town of Geraldine. geraldine is famous for several things but, the most unusual one is that it has the worlds biggest sweater(jumper) on show. The thing is massive and very ugly. As far as i am concerned it can stay there. We stopped in the town to use the internet and to have a coffee and ice cream. After about 2 hours we carried onto the campsite. We arrived at the campsite and found it to be superb. Very well looked after, and very quiet. It was a fully serviced D.O.C site which was very cheap. We had a very enjoyable couple of days there just chilling out and enjoying the time together. We did go for a walk to see a waterfall but, when we got there it was rubbish, to be very polite!

When we left Peel Forest we headed for the town of Methven. This would take us about 2 hours. The journey there wasn't bad really. We could have cut across country but, stayed to the main highway. We found Methven to be a very quiet town which in the height of winter would be very busy due to winter sports. It had 2 pubs that we saw, the Blue pub and the Brown pub. We camped on the local showground which had everything we needed except for working showers and fast internet. Metra decided to make a curry for that night so we had to visit the shop. Along the way we stopped at a gallery shop to see if Bill Irwin was around. He is a local photographer who I know through Facebook. Unfortunately he was not around and i had no answer from his phone. The curry was fantastic as always. The girls then spent the evening watching American Idol as i sat editing my images with my headphones on. Bethany was desperate to watch Michael Mcintyre again so we did. 

From Methven we moved onto Rakaia Huts Beach. This would be our last stop before giving the campervan back and then heading to Christchurch. The journey was fairly uneventful. The site was very cheap with limited services. The location was fantastic. The weather wasn't brilliant and the wind was strong. The girls decided to vegitate for the day and i decided to explore the beach. I got my camera and bag together and was off. I was told about a walk up the coast towards the river mouth which went through the woodland. This walk turned out to be quite scary because at some points i was on my knees crawling under fallen trees or through archways of bushes. Who knows what was hiding in wait for me, spiders, snakes etc. I was sweating hard because i was moving so fast. I eventually came to where you normally can cross the little river only, this time you couldn't because the water was so deep. I had to turn back and go through all that undergrowth and woodland again. I made it back to the site alive and then decided to check out the beach directly infront of the site. This meant walking down the coast to the left and around an inland lake. It must have taken me  about 30 mins to do so. All the while there were fishermen and woman passing each way on quad bikes. Some of them had cool boxes and fishing rods on them, some had dogs and other people on them. They all seemed to do the same thing which was, disappear either up the coast or down the coast. The beach was just a huge ridge of pebbles. Pebbles of every size you could think of, and as far as the eye could see in each direction up and down the coast. It was very difficult to walk on even when bare foot but, I managed to get to the ocean. The beach was very steep and the breakers were quick and strong. They formed quick and broke loudly as they hit the gravelly sand and ran up the slope of the beach. Occasionally one would ran right over the top and get my feet. I ste up my tripod and began shooting them. First i tried to get individual shots then i started short bursts. Eventhough it was very overcast it was still very bright. Exposure was a problem because of the wave's colour. I was standing on a beach, on my own in the middle of nowhere on the south island of New Zealand. Staring at and photographing the Pacific ocean while listening to "Stage Fright" and "Foot-Tapper" by "The Amber Herd" and "The Peartree EP" by "The Limits" very loudly on my Ipod! Nottingham homegrown music has now reached one of the corners of the world! It started to rain and I realised that I had to make the return journey back across these pebbles. Slowly but surely I made it back to the camper and had a cup of tea. The girls were quite happy where they were, wrapped up in the quilt watching movies. The night soon set in and sleep overcame me.

CRASHING PACIFIC OCEAN WAVES ON RAKAIA HUTS BEACH. 

The morning brought excitement for Bethany as it meant a return to Christchurch and to Charlie B's hostel. The journey was fairly short back to Christchurch. We dropped the campervan back at the depot and got a shuttle to the hostel. At this point i was not in the best of moods as it meant that Bethany was going home tomorrow. I tried not to show how i felt because i did not want to get us all upset. We had a great last day in Christchurch. I was able to watch the Superbowl afterall, while eating a huge bowl of noodles and drinking a beer. We then went for a walk around the town again. We decided to have fish and chips for tea. We then went looking for ice cream. Not any old ice cream, it had to be a certain kind of ice cream which I'm sure didn't even exist. Anyway this killed some time before we returned to Charlie B's. We sat and watched some tv before going to bed. 

This was a sad day for me because it was the last day I would see Bethany for a while. Infact I don't know the next time I will see her and that upsets me, even as I type this! Anyway, the shuttle takes us to the airport. The flight to Auckland was uneventful. The Air New Zealand 777  wasn't even half full and no sooner had we taken off and climbed, we were descending for landing. We had to walk to the domestic departure terminal and somewhere between the 2 terminals I lost my bloomin' hat. We grab some dinner and then just wait for her flight which is at 3pm. The plane will probably be the same as the one she flew in on, small prop with about 12-15 seats on it. As we wait, we discuss everything we have done and everywhere we have been. Eventhough we did no activities, we all still thoroughly enjoyed it and had a bagful of fun. we took it in turns quoting Michael Mcintyre or a line from The Hangover. Before we knew it her flight was being called. Bethany gave us each a hug then said "This is a happy goodbye, not a sad one like last time" I had to agree but i sure it sure as hell felt like a sad one. I promised myself that I would not cry in front of her again. I wanted that hug to last forever but i had to let go of her again. She turned and smile while waving as she walked down the corridor towards her gate. We walked over to the window to look out but, her plane was on the other side of the pan so we couldn't see her board the plane. I waited just staring out the window and watching everyplane taking off or landing. I saw Bethany's little prop plane come into view as it rose into the sky and my eyes just filled up. I could only just see as it turned and went out of sight. She would be home in less than an hour or so. We still had to walk back to the international terminal and then wait for our 6.30pm flight to Sydney. It was a long and heavy walk back to international. We checked in and then went through to airside. Our time with Bethany was over, our time with friends was about to start.  New Zealand would be but a memory if not for all the images I managed to take. I am looking forward to seeing them, let alkone anyone else!

Well I hope you enjoyed reading about our little trip to the other side of the world. We may not have had the most exciting time in the adventure capital of the world but, I for one had the time of my life with Bethany and Metra. 

To check out more of my images from this trip just click on NEW ZEALAND IMAGES