Liam and Maggie's engagement picture. JUST KIDDING.
Here is an approximate map of what we did:
We started off by flying from Wellington to Christchurch. We then picked up our rental car and started driving in the loop you see on the map, following the Southern Scenic Route. Notable points included the Moeraki Boulders, Nugget Point, the southernmost point on the south island, the steepest road in the world, of course Milford Sound, and the most touristy town ever, Queenstown. (pictures and stories of all these things coming soon!) I can't go into detail on these places now because it would be waaaaayyyyy to much to read.
We then drove back up to Christchurch to meet up with our friends we've met here at Uni who are from there. It was so cute to see all the things they grew up with and hear their stories about things we would pass. I got really really sick in Christchurch and slept for literally almost 24 hours one day while we were staying at my friend's parents' house. Maggie left to go back to Wellington while me and Liam returned our rental car and got on a train to Kaikoura.
best day ever in Christchurch. Kayaking in the botanical gardens.
Kaikoura is a really big whale watching town, but it was the off season so it was pretty much a ghost town. The hostel we stayed at was cool and served free soup at dinner. Yum Yum! In the middle of the night I felt like I was going to die (I had gotten even sicker) and woke up Liam so that we could walk to the hosiptal. IT WAS THE BEST WALK TO THE HOSIPTAL EVER! Not that I've ever done it before... but it was so beautful. The light of the full moon was shining on the mountains and the birds were chirping and it was so calm and peacful. And the air just smelled good! Anyway so the hosiptal was weird. It was like a house. But the nurses were really nice and said I should come back in the morning to see a doctor. Well, unfortunately we couldn't do that because we would have missed our train to Blenheim. OH WELL.
depressed in Kaikoura because the candy shop was closed
So we then took the train to Blenheim, which is the hometown of my KiwiMate, Natalie. (kind of like an RA... but not really. they are just supposed to be friends with us... ) We stayed there with her parents and did lots of fun stuff. We did a fundraiser quiz night for the Girl Guides (which is like the Girl Scouts) and won one of the top prizes! We got bottles of wine and cheese and gift certificates and lots more goodies. It did look a little suspicious seeing as Natalie's dad and mum were the organizers... BUT WHAT CAN I SAY? we dominated. We experienced the Blenheim nightlife (which was definitely calmer than Wellington's), got to watch more than three channels for once, and also went to some really beautiful vineyards for some wine tastings. The Marlborough area is famous for their Sauvignon Blanc. Natalie's dad made us the best breakfasts ever which we ate outside in the sunshine (Blenheim is the sunniest place in the south island) with the whole family. He made sausages, bacon, and fried eggs on the barbecue and we all sipped tea and coffee. Those were seriously the best mornings ever.
an empty vineyard
Our trip was coming to an end.... Natalie and her mum took us to the train station where we took a short journey to Picton. Picton was seriously the cutest town ever to spend an hour and a half in. Liam and I walked around the tiny picturesque town and ate ice cream cones with hundreds and thousands (kiwi for sprinkles) on top. We then got on this gigantic ferry boat which cars can also go on, to complete our journey back to Wellington. THIS FERRY WAS SO COOL. It felt very weird. You kinda feel like you are moving but kinda not. It is so big there are multiple floors and cafes, kids areas, sleeping areas, and even a movie theater!? The trip took about three hours and that's about the whole time I spent on this trip doing homework. oops.
Picton. Which looks tropical but did not really feel that way.
Our friends came and got us from the ferry and it felt weird/good to be home. We all wanted milkshakes and it felt very foreign walking around in our own city again. It was so amazing to sleep in my own bed that night.
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