Last couple of weeks in NZ

Hi, back in Wellington, North Island for the final 3 days of NZ. A quick update since Milford and then highlights and lowlights for the next post:

Still on the Bottom Bus I got back to Te Anau and joined the Milford Explorer for the trip to Milford Sound on Friday. Well I thought I had seen big mountains in Queenstown but Milford was BIIIIGGGGG. Absolutely classic glaciated fjordland scenery - with mountains 700m high - that's nearly a kilometre, with sheer sides, some sparse vegetation, mostly bare rocks, mostly snow covered with baby-glaciers hanging off the edges - bright blue ice shining despite the cloudy day. The cruise in the Sound was amazing - Mitre Peak is the classic postcard view and with the cloudy day I got pics of the scenery in muted blues, greys, pastels. I got the postcards to get the "sunny day pics!"

Back to QT - a 4-hour coach journey and I was totally shattered when I got back in. The hostel was full of bright young things, all going out clubbing and all I wanted to do was sleep - makes me feel very old when that happens! Anyhow I had to be ready for the trip on Saturday to Christchurch - 8.5 hours on the coach, but it was worth it when I got there. Had a day to myself, when once again I amused myself in the Botanic Gardens and got some amazing flower pictures. GT you will be interested to see them all, including a swallowtail butterfly sipping nectar from dahlias - beautiful

Kaikoura yesterday: on the east coast and on a beach, and so had full hot sunshine all day, and yes, Nina went on the beach to sunbathe and relax.

Back to Wellington today via the Interislander ferry. I think all this travelling is catching up with me as I feel totally worn out, and will be having a quiet night, I think. Tomorrow I have to do boring stuff like posting stuff home, laundry etc, to prepare for my flight to India on Sunday.