Day 6

Timaru to Chch and back to Lake Tekapo. We started heading back to Chch in the mid-morning after the gloomy news that Otago Campervans couldn't get us a replacement. We had two options : another campervan exactly like ours, with a slightly different configuration (and no guarantee of bed comfort) AND without the 3rd bed option (so Zack would have to sleep on the floor in the kitchen area) or a people carrier. I didn't want to drive 500km for all this nonsense. I felt really blue about it all - problems with the gas bottle, problems with the bed, now problems with the whole thing - we didn't really have a way out of the contract either. I didn't want to talk to Keith about it because there wasn't really anything to say, we were stuck. We agreed that we'd go as far as we could - probably Ashburton - before Zack woke up and then he'd drop us off and do the rest of the journey & the exchange without us. It was a blessing in the end - I think keith needed the head-space, and I was pleased to have the time to wander around town and "gather" (window shop). I managed to do a reconnoitre of the town and found where to buy "supplies" now that we were going to be sans-campervan & all it's accessories. Bought some plates, cups, bowls, a knife, large spoon, chopping board, pot, soft cooler bag & freezer block. Keith managed to hold onto a duvet, some pillows and the gas BBQ (I should jolly well hope so!) and a large plastic container on wheels with all our food stuffs in it. I had lunch in the Vespa Cafe where Zack lay on the floor and had another tantrum while I ate my quiche and drank a flat-white. By 3:30pm Keith was back from Christchurch in the people carrier which was a huge improvement on the campervan. It's supposed to seat seven but we have the back seats flat and the boot is full of our belongings. It is LUXURY compared to it's predecessor, and it's a hybrid so is ever-so-quiet. Zack was not happy being moved from the confines of his pram to the confines of a car-seat, with an uncertain amount of driving ahead, but what could we do ? This was not turning out to be the lovely relaxing trip we'd hoped for - we didn't want to be driving all day, every day, and that's almost what we've done.


We got back to Lake Tekapo and it's incredible lupins (brightly coloured flowers that grow wild in the surrounding area), and found the campsite. In retrospect I'm not sorry we returned as the first time we'd decided to push on to Mt Cook once we'd seen the view, and missed what it had to offer. The camp site is right on the edge of the lake on the somewhat quiet western side of town - we had a lovely dinner of fresh salads and left-over lamb chops, compared notes with some other travellers (also doing 4 weeks in NZ but covering more ground : Dutch couple from Arnhem who had already seen everything and hiked all over and were spending Xmas in Vietnam; and a Canadian woman travelling alone). After putting Zack down we went to the edge of the lake and got some lovely photos in the setting sun and twilight that followed.


Keith has 2 new lenses from HK, so it was great learning more about the macro. Thought we'd lost the car keys before bed, after ransacking the room, we found them under the curtain. Got to bed feeling jolly cold, and Zack was quite unsettled all night, so it was hard waking up to the chirpy "Mommy!" this morning. My very kind husband took him off for breakfast and gave me another 40 mins to lie in. Felt like a diff person!