Dreaming of Summer

Okay, for those of you who didn't already know, you do now. I am quite possibly the world's biggest procrastinator. Since it's been, oh, 6 months or so since I last posted anything, (I don't seem to grasp the concept of blogging too well) I thought I would update all of you who haven't totally given up on me.

Well, the last 6 months have been very eventful, and I've been lucky enough to see lots of New Zealand, both with David and with friends from home. After a long and hot summer, the winter has been somewhat of a shock, but I am better prepared for it this time around. Out came the jogging pants and slippers, and I've become very attached to my hot water bottle, or "hottie" as it's referred to here. David's Dad was also nice enough to put a heat pump in for us, and I seriously do not know how David survived last winter without it. I have a new appreciation for the toughness of the people of NZ, which I'm reminded of when I put on chilly clothes from the closet, or as I try my best not to get up in the night to pee. One thing I have refused to do, is get into a cold bed, which just seems like some form of torture, so we have a routine of turning on the electric blanket half an hour before bed, and we each have our own hot water bottle. David doesn't get as cold though, so often doesn't use his, and also has less blankets on his side...must be his "tough as" NZ genes. :)

We're experiencing a bit of a cold snap at the moment, so I'm happy to have the perfect excuse of recapping my summer while staying warm and cozy inside.

So, where were we? Sometime in January...ah, Summer! A few days after my frined Renata left, David and I set off on a road trip to Queenstown....
As we drove away from Nelson, I remember the weather getting progressively more and more wet. We stopped in the cute little town of Geraldine after a long day of driving, and somehow were lucky enough to get our tent up in the half hour window with no rain.

En Route

The next day, we headed to Wanaka, a beautiful lakeside town bustling with people. The weather had taken a turn for the better, and it was hot! Back at our campsite, we joined the screaming kids in the pool, and then went for an after dinner walk, which led us to an intriguing looking hill. We decided to ignore the "no tresspassing" sign and hopped the fence. There was a horse in the field, but no one else in sight. I was half expecting to see an angry farmer with a rifle, LOL, but the scariest thing we came across was a hedgehog, which was very exciting for me!!

Trespassers! (Wanaka)

Hedgehog!!

The next day, we continued on our way to Queenstown, stopping in a few places along the way. Our first stop was Lake Tekapo, which is known to have the one of the clearest night skies of anywhere in the world. The lake is also a stunningly beautiful turquoise color, which is a result of the sun combining with the"rockflour" (essentially glacial dust suspended in the lake).

Beautiful Lake Tekapo

Our last stop before Queenstown was quaint and romantic Arrowtown. Here, we spent the majority of the afternoon relaxing in the sunshine eating fudge, and after a lazy stroll around town to see some of the historic buildings, made our final trek to Queenstown.

 

Arrowtown