And he's back!

Cripes it's been a while since I've been near the internet. Last time I posted it was raining a lot, and it's cleared up once or twice since then. Long enough for us to get in a bit of crazy golf, a bit of slightly less crazy golf, and play the world's hardest pitch'n'putt.

We drove from Nelson to Nelson Lakes and managed a small walk there, then the next day it was all the way over the alps to Hanmer Springs in rainy and cloudy conditions. the scenery was spectacular though, with cloud filled valleys and a road that wound its way along the side of the mountains with the ridges spread out ahead of you getting ever fainter as they disappeared into the distance and the cloud/rain until the furthest ones were mere ghosts. As you drove round the ridges then each in turn would become darker and slowly take shape until soon enough you were driving round it and it was rendered in full colour and detail, and there was a new set of gray mis-shapen lumps in the distance that in their own time would be revealed as you drove round them too. It was a bit like playing a driving game on your PC with an under-powered graphics card.

Hanmer Springs was a chance to spend a day doing very little and just relax, which seems to be the point of the place. The thermal springs were pleasant enough, though a bit surreal when you're sitting in a 41 degree pool and it's throwing down with rain.

That's where we were this morning and we're now in Akaroa looking to see some sort of marine wildlife. Ideally it would have been penguins but they stopped that tour a few days ago apparently. Such is life. Still, tehre's seals and dolphins up for grabs so all is not lost. This place was set up by the French and looks a bit N'Awleansish to me.

Plan is to do the tour of the bay tomorrow, then look for a golf course and head to Christchurch.