Onward... Through The Lewis To Christchurch...

I slept soundly all night, snug and warm in my bus...

Dreaming of hot water and bath houses...

But it was morning and 8am and time to go...

To leave these amazing mountains in the

Southern Alps behind...

The Lewis Pass has a climate all it's own. This

particular morning is was wet and thick misty fog...

But as I left the Pass behind it cleared and got clearer...
Actually it was a Nor-west... Do read about these

winds, peculiar to Canterbury... It's fascinating.

The road goes on... Through the foothills...

Over more shingle rivers... This is the Hope River a tributary

 of the Waiau River which rises at the Hope Pass in the Southern Alps. 

It runs north east through Lake Sumner Forest Park,  

(Do have a look at this fabulous scenery), turns south, then

east along a large valley formed by the Hope Fault a significant

tectonic fault line. It is joined by a major tributary the Boyle River

which flows south from the Lewis Pass 12 kilometers above

its confluence with the Waiau. All this water continues eastward

along the Hope fault's valley before turning south  through

a gorge near Hanmer Springs...

The Hanmer Springs turnoff...

And I'm nearly there...

But one last stop... Pukeko Junction...
A Five Star ***** cafe.

Delicious food and coffee and the fire is going...

Pukeko Junction opposite the turnoff

to Leighfield Beach... don't pass it by...

Take time to loiter and enjoy.

The Journey Continues... It Seems A Long Way

On my way to Christchurch... I hadn't planned to go there

just now but my Dad is not well... Needs help (I think)

so... It's Licorice Allsorts... And here we come!

These are photos I snapped on the way.

It's a lovely drive that I have done many times

but not for a while. It was a beautiful day...

Autumn colours, stunning skies...

Radiata Pine plantations...

I love the Black Beech Trees...

It's very different from the North Island bush...

I'm getting closer... How far will I get?

I don't think I'll make it to Christchurch today.

I stopped at  Kawatiri... To find gloves, scarf and coat...

It was getting colder.

Lewis Pass straight ahead... The sign said 'Road Open'

There's no snow about. I don't have chains and

can't imagine putting them on my bus anyway...

So it's onwards...

Bare trees...

A spectacular South Island braided shingle river.

 It's only just after 4 in the afternoon but it's getting dark...

I'm at one of my favourite places... A great stopping

place for the night...

So here I am... Parked on the side of the road on

a wide lay-by. This is the view from my door... 

The Maruia River... I'm off for a swim...

No not in the river... At the Maruia Springs

'Onsen' Japanese Style Hot Pools...

Sitting outside in hot water dwarfed by the

mountains, surrounded by mist and cloud...

As it gets dark... Magnificent