New Zealand in a nutshell

I think my review of New Zealand has been a little negative thus far, or at least cryptic (apart from the uberly awesome cafes that is). Tina and Natalie, whom we met trekking in Nepal, left us with a lasting legacy of the 'Top 5' game which has provided hours of amusement throughout our trip. So I thought it fitting to leave you with our top five highlights of the country along with some random observations of the place.

Valentines day feast with Vanny!

1. Vanny - Exploring New Zealand by camper van really is the only way to do it. There are so many vans on the tourist trail that you will just end up being ridiculously jealous if you don't have one of your own - we looked down on cars...boring!! We have had a 'totally awesome' time in our van and I know that when we look back on our adventures it will be a highlight of the trip. Being entirely self sufficient and having our own wheels has made us feel so free. We may even invest in an old banger when we end up back in the UK!! Buying and selling a 20 year old vehicle is nerve wracking though and despite what people will tell you, you probably won't get all your money back. We heard many horror stories from fellow van owners and were thankful that our trip went without any mechanical hitches. So, if you do ever decide to do it yourselves, go in with your eyes open. But do it. You won't regret it :)

Cafe Culture - Great Coffee, Great Cakes

I ain't nothin' but a hound log...

Forget the scenery, the activities, the wine...it is NZ's cafes that really steal the show! The Kiwi's have more cafes per head of the population than sheep*, or brands of pet food. They are mad for them. And so they should be. Their cafe culture is the most sophisticated and darn brilliant that I have ever come across. Think the most delicious cakes you have ever seen, the most inventive sandwiches with the freshest ingredients, healthy and not so healthy salads, breakfast food, pastas, gourmet burgers, seafood....and most of them are licensed too so they double up as cutesy, low key places to spend an evening. In a country where the cheapest way to eat is to stuff your face with burgers, fish and chips and pies, cafes are also reasonable  places to get a decent meal.

Perhaps the best bit about them is that they are all unique too, barely a Starbucks in sight. This is true of a lot of businesses in New Zealand, which are, in the majority, privately owned. Local chains are few and far between, leaving the franchise models to McDonald's and KFC and keeping the local joints fresh and individual.

* This might not be 100% accurate but it sure feels like it...

The Truman Show meets The Matrix

We have all heard how stunning New Zealand is, and this is very true. So beautiful in fact that Chris and I have been forced to ponder the authenticity of the entire country! Our first impressions are that everywhere you go everything is, well, perfect. There is no other word for it. The scenery almost looks painted on to the background, or like plastic models that you might find on a film set; on top of this, everything is SO easy to organise and they have the world's most wonderful wine and food. The towns are the same - miniature little toy towns with white picket fences and wide streets. If any of you have seen The Truman Show...well New Zealand is it.

A Very New and Different Land

A sad scene in Christchurch

Silence, silence and more silence....despite the jet lag and the 24hr+ journey from India to Christchurch, Chris and I could hardly sleep when we arrived at our hostel...because it was sooooooooo quiet. Our pick up at the airport drove through the most deserted streets we'd seen since the steppes of Mongolia and dropped us at our hostel which was dead to the world. We crept in, found our room and marvelled at the sound of...nothing. Having slept for the past three and a half weeks on Palolem beach front with the waves crashing, the crows cawing, the dogs barking and the bar music blaring (not to mention those Scouser lads swearing!...) it was surreal, and slightly unnerving. Particularly since we'd been told not to worry and that we'd "get used to the tremors after the first couple". As became all too obvious the following day, Christchurch is tragically nowhere near over their earthquake ordeal and is still subject to aggressive aftershocks. It is terribly sad to see what was once a thriving city become so desolate and deserted and it was a sobering and strange introduction to the country.

Playing with ice!

I have been utterly useless in updating the blog for a good couple of months now and the Foto Fridays have all but dried up BUT I intend to be a lot better now that xmas and new year are out of the way and we are in a bit more of a routine.

Chris and I are now in New Zealand. We arrived here a couple of weeks ago and have been racing around the South Island seeing what there is to see - more on this in future posts.This week's highlight was most certainly trekking on the Franz Josef glacier on the West Coast - we opted for a full day of walking around on the glacier, crampons and all and loved every minute of it. I'm a little concerned that the more mountain activities we carry on doing, the more likely it is that I lose Chris to a life as an explorer or something - we think he must have mountain folk in his ancestry somewhere as he is like a small child whenever near ice or snow!

For more photos of the trip (and many more to come once I can get a good enough connection to upload everything up to NZ) please just click on the big 'pathological picture taker' image on the right sidebar to take you through to my Picasa photo albums, else I have just done a mass facebook upload of a fair few so you can take a peek there.

More to come soon...promise.