NZ to OZ via Antarctica

People of a nervous disposition should be aware that no small fluffy Labradors were harmed during the making of this blog. 

The weather this morning was glorious but gosh it was really windy (spaniel ears to horizontal was my estimate.)

Breakfast was typical hotel fare with a really good cup if tea. We have learned that the best tea here is referred to as "gumboot tea". 

We check- out, they charge us less than expected so perhaps breakfast was complimentary after all, and get the shuttle to the airport. It's too early to check-in, so we make a visit to the Antarctic Centre which is a 5min walk away - you follow the icy blue footprints, both man and penguin. Stash the bags in a secure locker that we need help in opening (instructions on screen are in Chinese), get mistaken for some old people and are charged pensioner rates for admission. 

There are a whole load of "get immersed" experiences so we start with the Freezer. Kitted out in snow shoes and suitable coat we enter essentially a big ice box with real snow and ice. They also blast wind at you and the temperature gets to -18C. - pretty chilly. 

Eric is loving it even without a coat. 

On a snowmobile

Down an ice slide

Them we go out for a ride in a Hagglund tracked snow vehicle over some majorly rough terrain.

This is to give you an idea what it's like for the research scientists who work there, as this is one of their methods of locomotion. No wonder they warn you not to  go on it if you have back problems or are pregnant etc. Hanging on to straps and being thrown all over the place. Alton Towers could use one of these. Also see where most Antarctic missions fly from, just across the road. 

However panic sets in as we discover Eric has gone AWOL. 

Nowhere to be found!

We now have to check with the receptionist and explain we have lost a travelling companion. 

They quickly mobilise all available staff for the search. ( I'd like to think they would do this much even if it had been a small child!)

We retrace our steps and the staff search the pockets of all the jackets used in the freezer (must be about 50 of them).

No luck so they let us back in to the freezer to search again after the next set of participants leave. Somewhat shamefaced we even ask the customers to check their pockets. We don't like the idea of frisking them airport style.  A Japanese couple have just hung theirs up and don't seem too concerned. We think as a last resort to check these coats, and yep Eric had obviously decided to go through the whole freezer experience again. He really must like the cold!

We stop for a coffee to recover from the trauma of thinking we had lost our travelling companion. Eric wasn't too worried and he enjoyed the two penguin biscuits. 

Eric looks with envy at the jacket of someone who had worked on Antarctic missions for 32 years, collecting badges for each time he was there.

Re-united we tour the remainder of the facility. 

Eric shows us where he's been while we were in the Hagglund. 

Eric met some more new friends. 

Some friendlier than others.

Rode along on a sled...

And had go in another skidoo type thing.

Was awed by the Aurora.

There are also some Blue Penguins that were injured and rescued, as well an an Extreme 4D cinema experience - an Ice Journey. It was very immersive - as the large ship carrying you to Antarctica travels through the oceans and large swells, the seats shake, water spray hits you in the face, sort of sloshes under the seats, it snows (in the cinema as well as on the screen), a large gull looks like it is flying just in front of you and then bird poo drops (we hope this is water not the real thing)' similarly with the seal coughing spray all over you! All great fun. 

The artwork outside Christchurch airport - Eric was admired by the airport workers as he posed for the photograph.

Back in the airport we can see the planes departing for Antarctica. 

There's a giant chess set to keep children and small dogs amused.

             Your move. 

                 Check mate. 

Time passes quickly even though our flight is delayed for 15 mins.  Even though the weather is good as we take to the air it is clear the wind has not abated as the plane seems to be zigzagging down the runway! The captain comes on the intercom to warn us there may be turbulence as we cross over the Southern Alps. Happily none materialises.

Flight passes bearably with some movies, no vegetarian meal but a rather yummy ice-cream sufficed.  

Our type of passport means we can go through fast track passport control - it works well for one of us, but the other is told to go to be processed by a border control assistant. Seriously beginning to wonder if something has been marked on the passport! 

After negotiating that and explaining that even though we'd been in the forest and through freshwater, we'd thrown those shoes away and bought new ones. They are content with that so they do let us into the country. 

Our bag is almost the first one on the carousel which means we can get to the car hire desk first and are in receipt of a hire car and driving away from the airport within half an hour. This time we know we will have something extra to pay on the hire car as we have to use a toll road.  Traffic is free flowing and the toll is taken via the number plate recognition. 

So this is Australia and we are on our way to Doon Doon. 

The TranzAlpine Journey

A relaxed wake-up this morning as the train doesn't leave until quarter to two.  Sort through all the leftover bits of food and make a picnic for later.  As we have some time to spare we thought we'd sample some of the other delights Greymouth may have to offer.  Consulting the map shows that the beach at the other end of town is marked 'Gemstone Hunting' - think this might be a worth a look, see if we can pick up anything to go with the diamond and garnets we found at Franz Josef (haha). 

The route doesn't look too promising as it is past a very industrialised area, but we do eventually find a rather scruffy looking car park. The road seems to continue on up a slight incline and over the cycle path - whoops, we are actually on the beach!  Nearly all of the beach is a steepish bank of pebbles, but there is a patch of sand just where the car is. Reverse before we are stuck.

After trying a few other beach access points we decide to head back to the breakwater. At least we know we can park and look at the sea there.  The wind is still pretty strong, although it is not actually raining at the moment.  

Do wind socks come with a Beaufort Scale rating depending on how horizontal they are?

Decamp from here to check in our suitcase and drop the hire car back after driving just over 4000km around the South Island. Come away with a recommendation for a good cafe and head there as we seem to have exhausted the wonders of Greymouth.  A very pleasant place to while away a wee bit of time (the cafe, that is, not Greymouth itself). Not sure if we will have a late brunch but our mind is made up when we see on the menu a Freddie's Pancake Stack. It comes with bacon or banana or both so we have one of each. They even have newspapers to read. An hour and a half, and two cappuccinos later we decide we'd better leave.  Off to the station - an hour to wait for the train. 

Eric sits on the platform patiently waiting for the train to arrive.

Turns out he was looking the wrong way.

We board the train, all the seats have views and we have a table too. No-one sits opposite us - sigh of relief. There are headphones on the seat and there is a running commentary available which really enhances the trip. 

Not too crowded in our carriage.

One of the first towns we pass is Stillwater which the commentary describes as a dormitory suburb of Greymouth. This raises a smile as given the extremely sleepy nature of Greymouth itself, we can only assume the everyone in Stillwater stays in bed all day. There's certainly little sign of life there from the train. 

Lake Brunner passes on the right hand side.

Cor, that's a lot of flax.

Those clouds are looking rather ominous.

Another example of a braided river, but from a train this time!

Some views were on the opposite side of the train - getting up to photograph out of that window I forget that I'm still attached to the earphones, but manage a quick shot anyway as we speed along.

We reach Otira and are expecting to have to transfer to a coach here as we had a letter saying the tunnel was closed before we left for NZ. No announcement is forthcoming and the commentary explains that will be ascending 1metre for every 33 metres we are going forward, so we are going into the tunnel after all.

Aaagh, it's dark in here.

Out of the other side and we have built up a head of steam (well maybe not as it's a Diesel engine, but you know what I mean), so that the blurred photo is due to our speed not my bad photography - that's my excuse anyway.

We reach Arthur's Pass, the highest point of the journey. This part is purportedly incredibly scenic.

And it's raining...

...hard

Scenic views pass by in the rain.

And fog.

What's this - some blue sky! (Still raining though).

We pass over quite a few viaducts.  They have tall edges to protect the workers from cold winds. Some were built quite a long time ago - and there are pieces of wood that look like they need replacing! Worried look on face.

The river appears in a gorge below us, and has changed from a braided river with shingle to a one flowing through a silty sand mix. Honestly, this is a photo from the train not a wonky picture on someone's lounge wall.

This part of the river is known as Horseshore Bends.

You can see why.  

 We are now coming out of the mountains and can see the river passing out into the Canterbury Plains.

Looking back from whence we came.

Arriving in Christchurch, the station is about 3km from the City Centre.  There are shuttle buses waiting as well as taxis - we hop on board a bus (much cheaper, and more familiar but still can't use our bus pass though).  The lady driver says she will drop people at hotels in the city first before taking us out to ours, which is near the airport. The devastation from the earlier earthquakes and the amount of rebuilding is incredible.

It seems a bit gruesome to photograph it all so we just take the one picture of the boarded up Cathedral. 

We later pass the new one that has been built of cardboard. 

Many of the cities buildings are either waiting for demolition, have scaffolding around them, are vacant plots where they been removed, or in some cases a mangled mess of concrete and metal. The lady tells us that about 1400 buildings in the city centre need to be rebuilt. A rather ironic site is that of the old and new sections of the Heritage Hotel. The quake caused the new building to suffer so much damage it had to be demolished but the old one looks untouched. Driving along you have to look twice at the police HQ, at first it looks OK but then you notice a distinct lean (Pisa springs to mind). It's all boarded up and waiting for Fred Dibnah's team to arrive. 

All activity in the business district was stopped and the only solution was to draft in hundreds of shipping containers for use as office space. Many of the water and sewage pipes were also ruptured and they had water bowsers at the end of streets for 18 months. 

One hundred and eighty one people lost their lives, but it seems incredible looking around that the number was not many more. They suffered severe aftershocks for two years and it has had a huge impact on the economy.

After this free tour of the earthquake scene we reach the airport hotel for a meal and an evening sorting out our packing ready for the flight to Brisbane tomorrow.

An Ambling Drive to Greymouth

The weather had cleared by this morning and we had sun with our breakfast.  The rays from the golden orb together with a slight breeze provide an opportunity for the shoes to be put outside, thereby helping progress the drying out process. They have been well used on this trip - various holes - in the toes; on the side; and underneath plus webbing still covered with mud means shoes need a serious clean and disinfect or they won't let us in to Australia.

A relaxed drive back down the coast after a wiggly crossing over Karamea Bluff (420m) again (in the sun this time).  

The driver has a pair of sandals on and the passenger bare feet. 

Eric just travels in style.

Return past all the lovely beaches bathed in sunshine, although it is apparently not safe to swim at any of them. The Tasman Sea was dumping some very large 'rollers' onto the beaches whilst also breaking a long way out. 

It doesn't look very sunny here but it was!

Another stop at Punakaiki Rocks and Blowhole was a good idea for stretching the legs. 

We've been here before haven't we?

Looking out to see from the Pancake Rocks area.

The Surge Pool.

Looking a bit grey down the coast, but seems to have been clearing as we travel along.

Pancake Rocks that look a little like giants with part of their heads missing.

A good swell running.

This time the Blowhole was actually spouting water, even though the tide was further out than last time. Not big enough to get the people watching wet though. 

Reach Greymouth just as the TranzAlpine train arrived and the place is heaving with the new arrivals hiring cars and looking for local info at the visitor centre. It's time for a spot of late lunch and we consider a visit to the Warehouse store for some replacement footwear (recommended by Bill for good value). Two pairs of cheap but clean and dry trainers later we check into the motel. Then off to sample the delights of Greymouth shops, spending some spare NZ dollars in the Tourist Information shop.  A short walk looping along the harbour protection wall brings us to the centre of the metropolis of Greymouth.  It is about 3:30pm on a Saturday afternoon and nearly all the shops appear to be shut! Like Builth Wells waiting for the Royal Welsh Show, does Greymouth only exist as a living and breathing town at the times when the TranzAlpine train chugs in?  

Greymouth Main Street @ 3:30pm Saturday. It was even quieter in the other direction. 

Of course, if there's a beach then we have to go and see it.  By this time Greymouth is grey and the swell is pounding in along the breakwater and a lot of white horses in the sea.  

Looking back toward Greymouth from one of the harbour breakwaters the water looks fairly calm.

But there were quite large waves.

Would want to use this slipway today!

Eric makes sure he's safe by lodging himself in the fence. 

We decide to eat out this evening and go to Speights Brewery bar and restaurant, as recommended by the the receptionist at the motel. A venison pie goes down well with a rather odd accompaniment of kumara chips. Kumara is the sweet potato the Maori brought with them to NZ. The veggie burger is less well liked as it mostly contains vegetables, but it filled a gap and tea back at our room was welcome before we wrote up this blog post.