Picton is still there to see me return to the North Island. I've arrived here an hour ago, just in time to pick up the sandals I'd left behind in the Sequoia Lodge and to take pictures of a local little church I notice on my way down. It is painted in the most daring colours: a very vibrant blue on walls and roof and a kind of bright light green on doors and windows.
Wanaka was finally the most southern place I visited. I didn't intend to go this far South but I met Volker, a german guy in Punakaiki who convinced me to go see the glaciers. And see the glaciers we did! We chartered a little Cessna 185 - just like what I used to fly!!!! - and it took us over the whole area around Mount Cook (LOTR!), Fox glacier, Franz Josef (Franzel for the friends) glacier and Tasman Glacier where we landed and stayed a while with the engine off..........
Let me tell you this: GLACIERS ARE BIG BAD MOTHERS !!!!!
I never figured they moved as much stone until I actually saw it with my own eyes. After the flight, we went to the glacier lake, filled with icebergs and surrounded by a 20m wall of rocks the glacier had pushed on before retreating...
WOW!
OK, back to the here and now.
After the glaciers Volker and I went our separate ways - unfortunately because we had good fun - and I started driving back North (Geraldine, Christchurch, Hanmer Springs, Murchinson, Blenheim, Picton) on my way to the Poor Knights Island that is said to be one of the world's best diving and snorkeling places. And I intend to do both!
My drive up North will probably be very simple: tonight I sleep in Wellington, at the Stillwater Lodge like on my way down and then it's straight up North towards Auckland and Whangarei. I'm not clear yet exactly which road to Auckland I'll take. Taupo or not Taupo.
Allrighdy, time to go check in for the Ferry. I hope to get to upload the pictures I took of the glacier flight and afterward before too long.
Until then, signing out from Picton, this is Dona.
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