Day 2 - Camper van

This was a much more action packed day. We set out driving at about 11- we really can't wake up earlier than 10 (which happens to be check out time at the parks and we always manage to check out late). We started our day at Plums Cafe. It was the most adorable spot for breakfast. I had a delicious- fresh out of the oven Berry muffin... yummy! That with a soy cappuccino- a great way to start the day. We also met a few people that gave us tips and must sees for our journey!

We drove to Lake Tekapo. There is a church on the hill top, along side the water with windows at the rear of the church; they had the most spectacular view of the mountains. The church was grey stone, standing alone. It was really sweet, serene and one of a kind. I would have loved to spend some time alone in it, with no other tourists or friends and just been able to admire the view and enjoy my surroundings... but oh well- I enjoyed my time in it just the same.

We drove into town and I went straight into the air safari office (one of the suggestions by a Plums patron). They didn't have any tours that actually land on a glacier- and I heard that that was spectacular. I next went to the helicopter office and they do offer that excursion- just not on that day... no such luck! We didn't have another day there so I booked the air safari.

Celia and Lottie opted against the plain ride for lack of funds but were darlings to wait for me to do it- there was no way I was missing an aerial view of Mt. Cook, Franz Joseph and Fox glaciers, NZ alps and some lakes. As we were waiting to get on the 12 (about that) passenger plain, they asked if anyone wanted to sit up front. Who's hand shot up faster than any of those oldies could even process the question?! Yep, I once again scored the front seat!

We first went over the lake and flew toward the mountains. It was interesting to see the mountain terrain change. It went from sandy / desert looking, to rocky mountains, to snow capped, to straight up ice- glacial mountains. We went so close to the mountains that I was in complete bliss. You could see the cracks and crevices in the ice. You could see avalanches of snow coming down. We were so high that we were above the clouds and could only see the peaks of the mountains. As we were cruising around one of the glaciers, we hit turbulence...

I thought I was going to die. I didn't know what to do as we would plummet what felt like a few feet but was more likely alot more than that! I thought we were going to come crashing down on the ice. All the pilot said was 'sorry for the bumps'... negative on the comfort I was seeking! I just focused on taking pictures and forgetting a reality that could take place... I now have the most amazing photos! it really was all worth it.. what I saw is not visible from the ground and is probably not seen by 99% of the people in the entire world. Wow- but I must say I was glad to have done this tour and not one that actually lands on the glacier!

I was shaking for a few hours after this trip both for my life and what I had seen. We set out driving again, passing Lake Pukaki and Twizel. Twizel is a nothing town with 1 gas station and maybe a store- it was very strange. Along the way we drove through tan colored mountains and we were surrounded by more fields and farms. What was cool about this leg of the trip were the trees. We saw a lot of beautiful, rich green pine trees- but even more impressive were the trees that changed in color. I am not sure what type of tree they were, but much like New England foliage- NZ has such trees. They were the most beautiful gold color leafs. At one point they also looked like they were growing in the ground, like their trunks were in the ground and the top half were visible.

We made it to lake Wanaka and stayed at the Wanaka Holiday park. It was a cold night, so we got some red wine to help get us toasty. The town was cute, it had a main strip (one block long) with stores along side of it. I cooked dinner at the camp park, in the communal kitchen. We were wearing our ski suits, as I said it was cold! We got the funniest looks in the kitchen and no other camper would talk to us. We found it hilarious. Wait till you see the photos.

We drank our wine outside the van, in our fold up chairs, wearing our ski outfits and played old maid. Funny times!

A big mention to the sky that night... not as impressive as the sky in Fraser Island, however it was still unbelievable. We lucked out and got a clear night which displayed the majestic stars. We were able to see the milky way and tons of stars!

An amazing second day!