Our first stop in New Zealand was Christchurch. We flew in from Sydney and landed at about 3 in the afternoon. After standing in a long queue to have our passports stamped, standing in another queue to answer questions about whether there were any dirty shoes in our luggage, and standing in yet another queue to have our bags scanned, we eventually emerged from the airport. We collected our rental car (a slightly used RAV4) and started the journey.
The journey was quick - about 20 minutes to get to the accommodation we'd booked. Being fairly late in the afternoon by now, we didn't bother trying to hunt down any must-see attractions and settled for a drive to the beach.
It was chilly.
The next morning, we began the drive to Greymouth through Arthur's Pass.
Earlier that morning, the guesthouse owner in Christchurch told us that we simply must stop for a pie in Sheffield on the way, because their pies are the best. We'd never argue with a glowing pie recommendation, so we did just that.
We can confirm that the pies were delicious.
During our drive, we began to notice a theme that would continue for the entire journey throughout New Zealand - gorgeous scenery, an abundance of greenery, and lots and lots of sheep.
While driving through Arthur's Pass, we stopped at a viewing point to take some pictures. As we got out, we were greeted by a kea - also known as a mountain parrot. It was a funny little thing. It waddled up to the car, disappeared behind a front tyre, peered around, and finally decided that we weren't interesting enough to bother hanging around for. So it waddled away again.
We arrived in Greymouth in the early afternoon and promptly headed off to Paparoa National Park, home of Punakaiki (pancake rocks). The name is fairly self-explanatory; the rocks look as if they are made up of many flat layers, a bit like a stack of pancakes. If seascapes are your thing, then this is thing heaven. We rather enjoyed it.
The next morning, we took a drive to Hokitika Gorge. If you were impressed by the seascapes, then wait until you see the unbelievable turquoise blue of the waters of the Hokitika river. No Photoshop needed, it really does look like this.
It was overcast when we visited; it's apparently even more spectacular on a sunny day (or so it says on the internet).
By the time we started driving back, a drizzle had started. Sven was adamant that Greymouth was surf spot ("It MUST be, there are waves - look!") and there's nothing better to do in a drizzle than surf, so we found the only surf shop in town and rented a couple of boards and wetsuits.
It was a kak surf. Rocky as hell and a washing machine of chaotic, messy waves. We had a blast (even though we didn't really catch anything).
Next: New Zealand Part 2