Day 7

Tekapo to Queenstown. After getting all our goodies back into the car (including the freezer block we almost left behind) we started the winding trip down to the Remarkables* & Queenstown. It was cold, grey and not much different from the other days we've had. Mt Cook was under cloud as we drove past, so skipped that. Omerama was looking pretty clouded in too so decided not to go for the gliding option either. We took Lindis Pass to get to Cromwell, and steadily the landscape changed - as did the weather. I think the mood lifted with the brightening skies, and by the time we pulled into Cromwell for lunch we were both feeling much better. We ate at a funky cafe (Fusee Rouge) and Zack met two labradors, but wasn't interested in his lunch. While filling up with petrol, I got a text msg from Clive (Diane's husband) to say that he was 5 minutes out of Cromwell, so I sms'd him back telling him where to find us. Isn't technology amazing ? In the middle of nowhere, we met Clive for the first time, and agreed on hooking up for dinner. The drive from Cromwell to Queenstown is supposed to be a mere 45 mins, but we made it more by stopping at the Gold Reef Jet boating place and taking some pics from the suspension bridge. The landscape approaching Queenstown gets greener and greener (after the Karoo-like veld & mountains of the rest of the day's drive), and more beautiful. We were soon in wine-country, and there were vineyards every kilometer or so. We had booked into the Lakeview site and were unpacking when Clive turned up to discuss dinner. It was already 5:30pm and I had been caught off guard - it felt like 3:30pm. The light is hard to adjust to so far south in summer. We had italian, talked about the family and got to know one another a bit more. It sounds like we're going to have a festively festive celebration with them. Zack was charming and ratty - tired of the travelling I think, but also a bit under the weather with teething. He's slept very fitfully this evening and has had the shivvers.

* The Remarkables are to Queenstown, what the Twelve Apostles are to Cape Town = mountains, with grandeur