South Island: Tarras & Christchurch

In the midst of the Otago gold rush, fifteen hundred eager diggers packed their belongings and settled on the banks of the Arrow to test their luck in finding the king of metals. The easy gold was depleted after just three years and the promise of riches on the West Coast goldfields was too tempting to resist, leaving Arrowtown's economy flagging. Cantonese migrants invited to work the river flooded in, many of them barely surviving the harsh winters but withstanding the hostility of locals. More recently, Arrowtown has evolved into a sweet little town and a great stop off on our way to Tarras for an avocado-on-toast and sticky bun lunch. Clueless as to how far back ties between New Zealand and China stretched, the settlements sparked my interest and I enjoyed learning about the living conditions of these hopeful populations.

Always browsing for walks, I stumbled upon the Roys Peak track, a steep climb to a viewpoint like no other over lake Wanaka. All I can say is Yas and I really deserved the ice cream we went for afterwards, although the natural rock jetty leading out into the sky at the summit was a sufficient reward.

So many lakes to wonder at, so many different shades of blue! The long drive to Christchurch was punctuated by a stop at lake Pukaki, at the tip of which towers the snow-capped Mount Cook. Another 30 minutes and we were on the shores of the similarly crystal clear lake Tekapo, enjoying our sandwiches and looking forward to an hour in the hot pools overlooking it and the Two Thumb mountain range.

Tourist attractions and sites in Christchurch are mainly focused around the destructive earthquake of February 2011 and how the city was rebuilt. We spent the day at the Margaret Mahy playground, Hadeeqa making friends and shooting down slides, Tim looking for the best coffee in town and me, lying in the grass absorbed in my book. Our house was conveniently located 100 metres from Sumner beach and an evening dip in the Pacific was more than welcome after our hot day in the sunshine. Unwilling to cross town to visit the Antarctic centre recommended by Chris on our only full day in Christchurch, we did drop in on our way to Lyford yesterday to brave the Antarctic storm they simulate and see some penguins. The films and photographs exhibited spiked a vivid desire to go to either of the poles in me, preferably in the context of an expedition aimed at preserving the incredible marine wildlife. Our thoughts went to friends and family currently enduring the European winter as we stepped into the freezing simulator and felt our noses turn pink.

Sascha xx