Christchurch via Arthur's Pass

Dec. 28

John felt good as he came to for the day. It was just past 7am and he felt that he was about to experience something new. Looking out the window he thought he saw the light of... could it be... sunlight?

Yes, there was the promise of a beautiful day as the clouds descended but the light drizzle was gone. He packed up the car, had a last laugh with Jill and Bill the motel operators and headed off. All the motel people have been just great thought John.

He had gone this way before - just yesterday as he had gone up to Franz Josef glacier. At that time, he had stopped at a gas station and bought a 1.5L bottle of L&P pop (World Famous in New Zealand). When the young woman told him $4.50 he had said without thinking much, "Wow, that's quite a bit." She had just glared at him. A few minutes later when he was drinking out of the bottle in the car, the young woman and a friend went by and the friend was saying, "You shouldn't get that upset over a boy."

Today, he needed some gas to ensure he got to Hokitika so he stopped at the same station. After getting just $10 worth because the price for regular was $1.87 a litre he was served by the same young woman. As part of the transaction she said, "Press the green button," John fumbled trying to guess the button and she repeated again more forcibly, "Press the green button," John said, "But I'm green blind." She said, "You should have said that at the beginning" and punched the button herself. Without thinking of the day before, John said, "You should have said 'Press the button with the checkmark on it.'" She gave him another glare and muttered something under her breath. They completed the rest of the transaction in silence. John said, "Thanks", but she didn't reply. I guess she was still raging inside about her former boyfriend.

It was certainly time to hit the road.

The road after Franz Josef was the same twists and bends as before as the road climbed up the side of the next mountain. We climbed up into the cloud layer that must have only been 400-500 feet above sea level. It was a fairy tale world of fog and ferns, and little waterfalls raining down beside the road everywhere. Soon we were descending again.

As the road flattened, the sky got lighter and by the time we reached Hokitika, it was sunny. There were still clouds but the day was drawing hotter. John stopped for gas and also bought some toffees (he has not eaten candy since leaving Canada). We turned at Kumara Junction onto State Highway 73 towards Arthur's Pass, one of only three routes through the Southern Alps. It is called Arthur's Pass - not after Arthur - but after the Arthur Mountains who must have been named after... Arthur?

The clouds were like a gossamer crinoline around the mountains but as we ventured closer to the Otira Gorge in the Arthur's Pass National Park, they lifted entirely revealing a sky as blue as forever. John had to stop many times to take videos - the gorge, the viaduct, Arthur's Pass summit. Often he would come across a viewing site filled with people but often preferrred to go on a little further and take a video where he was more alone. Despite this almost every video has the sounds of cars and trucks passing; it is a busy highway.

We stopped at Park headquarters for a break and because the day was so warm John unzipped the bottoms of his long pants to make them into shorts.

The mountains that followed were in the rain shadow of the coastal mountains. They are dry, with tussock grasses, some flax and a lot of stony ground. John remembered the lessons he had taught about weather and geology in grade eight science and saw it now as living truth.

We also stopped at Cave Steam between the Broken River road bridge and Craigieburn Forest Park entrance. See the website There were lots of young families picnicking and going down to the river to swim. The river was a long, long way down and the rock formations were fascinating. But even more interesting was that the river had large deep caves along its banks and you could walk into the caves. Must be great on a hot day!

As we descended from the mountains onto the Canterbury Plain, the clouds once again formed an overcast canopy. John feeling itchy in the arms, realized that he had been bitten a number of times, probably while ooh-ing and ahh-ing over the scenery.

Then it was into Christchurch. He didn't get the instructions quite straight but for some reason picked another road and found his way promptly to the motel.

It turned out that Internet access at the motel was prohibitively expensive - $6 for 30 minutes. He asked the owner if it was a mistake and was told in no uncertain terms that that was the price, and there was no discussing it and he walked away. The motel guy was this 'try to get whatever you can without providing good service' businessman which may partly explain his brusque 'take it or leave it' attitude. Not only that but maybe many people have complained about the price (John estimates that the price is at least 45 times what it could possibly cost the owner) and it touched a nerve. John also reflected that the owner must think him poor because of his clothes and treated him accordingly. John thought sadly, "All this way meeting wonderful, friendly people and now two arguments in the same day!"

To do something positive, John went for a walk downtown and came across a Roast Beef restaurant and had a complete roast beef dinner with Yorkshire pudding. It was the best he had had since his Mum used to make them. Wandering around downtown he saw Cathedral Square, a unique sculpture that looks like a huge metal vase and found the restaurant where tomorrow he is to meet his old friend and colleague Peter from Auckland days.

Then it was back to the motel to watch some TV. We both wrote this post together as I didn't want to put words in John's mouth. He hopes to go to an internet cafe and do his email tomorrow (at $3 an hour).

John said that it does mean that he cannot upload a new post or do email tomorrow, and will have to connect next from lovely Australia.

TRB

PS update Dec. 29: John is at a Starbucks and has Internet access for $3 an hour which is reasonable. Today he is scheduled to meet his friend and former colleague from Auckland, Peter. Janice may remember meeting Peter when he visited London in 2005. Anyway, after their get together and walk through the Botanical Gardens John is off to the Antarctic Base (C'church is the jump off point for scientists to fly to Antarctica. The he ends his travel week with a Maori educational and cultural evening that includes a feast.