26th Sept Didnt do much today, spent a few hours updating my blog and email etc. Managed to laze about the pool and do my laundry.
27th Sept Got the bus this morning at 7.30am to do a 1 day cruise. We sailed on the 'Seaspray' an 83ft schooner to another archipelago of islands known as the 'Mamanucas'. They are beautiful tropical islands that were chosen as the location for various TV shows including 'Celebrity Love island', the movie "The Blue Lagoon' and 'Castaway' the Tom Hanks shipwreck movie which was filmed on the island of 'Modrik'. I walked around it and through the middle of it but couldnt recognise much but was beautiful all the same. We visited another island and were guests of the chief (who get paid, no doubt) but its all part of their island economy. To visit a tribe, a visiting group must appoint a group (tribe) leader and he must have a spokesman. Nobody wanted to be the spokeman (as they have to make a speech) but Rena , an English girl that was on the Feejee island trip, volunteered me. So there I was again, drinking Kava with the movers and shakers af the island with a population of about 30. I said a few words, threw in a bit of wisdom for good measure and that was that.
28th Sept Up at 5.30am today and was at the airport at 6.15am. My flight to Christchurch (CC) on the south island of New Zealand (NZ) was at 8am. On the plane I got chatting to this older lad and it turned out he was the owner of the resort (Voli voli) that I did my wreck dive in and his son was my dive instructor, small world. We had a great chat about business on the island and I gave him plenty of feedback incl ways he could earn and save based on my experiences in other resorts. He seemed more than happy to hear it (I hope).
I got to Christchurch and walked out the doors of the airport and straight back in again. It was bloody cold. I opened my bag and put on half its contents. I got the bus into the city centre and checked in. Had a brief walk around and it seems like a nice place. I also booked the 'Magic bus' around the South Island which is a hop on hop off arrangement too. I also have to catch a train to meet the bus which involves getting the 'Tranz Alpine Express'. Apparently one of the best train rides in the world through the mountains to the countrys West coast.
29th Sept Had to do a load of jobs today like photo development, post office, buy camping stuff etc. I also did the walking tour of CC including Parks, museum, art Gallery etc. and a bus ride around the city (all free ;-) ) It is a fine, well laid out city. Built by the Brits.... wouldnt you know it.
30th Sept Up at 6.30am (or so I thought) to get the shuttle bus to the train station to the West Coast. Having looked at my watch during breakfast and it was 7.50am, I realised that I had not adjusted my alarm clock for daylight saving. I ran to reception with a mouth full of muesli and I must have been a sight trying to explain myself to the lad behind the counter who was obviously more interested in what was falling out of my mouth that what i was saying. Anyway he rang a taxi and I was rushed to the train station and thankfully, when I arrived at 8.13am, there was a short queue to slow things down slightly. The train left at 8.15am on the dot. Phew.
The train journey lived up to its reputation as we travelled through amazing countryside. I marvelled at the Cantebury plains (huge flat and fertile farming land), snow capped mountains, huge Gorges, viaducts and 3 tunnels (one was 8km long and took 20 minutes to pass through). Originally built for Mining and transport purposes, its now just a tourist thing...but great. It took 4hrs 45 mins to reach Greymouth, the mouth of the Grey river, and the end of the line. I checked in to the YHA hostel and had a look around town. Your wanno in the hostel sold me a ticket for the local brewery (Monteiths) tour and all you can eat BBQ which was good. We tasted 7 types of beer (dont remember what the last 2 tasted like ;-) ) Good craic though.
01st Oct Officially the 1st day of the NZ summer but it was cold and was raining on and off. (NZ is like Ireland in lots of ways) Headed off on the magic bus this morning and stopped at a town called 'Hokitiki' where the make crafts from 'Jade' , a local precious stone and at a town called 'Ross' where they still mine for Gold. A few bought a 15 minute panning for Gold session and actually got a few flecks. Moved on to tonights destination, a town called 'Franz Josef' (FJ) here in FJ is the FJ Glacier. One of only 3 moving glaciers in the world. I booked a full day hike tomorrow with tour guide. Hope the weather will be nice.
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