As I previously mentioned, we hopefully changed our plans so that we are able to see Mt Cook and Lake Tekapo. We are heading that way but it does not look good. But then ….. it cleared. We could see Aoraki/Mt. Cook in the distance.

We stopped at the car park and Hayden and I walked to Kea point lookout where we could see intermittently Mt Sefton, the Footstool and Mueller Glacier and Lake. We did hear the cracking of the glacier. The rest of the group went on the longer hike hoping to see Aoraki and the icebergs on Hooker Lake but the mount was socked in.

At 3760 metres….Aoraki/ Mt. Cook…. Symbolizes 3 brothers … it being highest of the 3 mountains

Hayden picked for Jeanette’s birthday, a NZ alpine daisy called a Golden Spaniard.

Porcupine Shrub… nasty thorns like a hawthorn but is much worse.

Lake Tekapo…gorgeous glacial waters that only shows when the sun shines. Lucky us!!! The night skies here are the darkest skies in the world. There is huge telescope near here ….. apparently caught 2 exploding stars that happened 11 billion years ago.

Christchurch had a 6.3 earthquake in 2011?when 185 died…. They are still working to replace buildings destroyed. Then in 2019, the massacre at a mosque of 51 muslims was the darkest day in NZ history that allowed the passing a law banning all automatic and semi automatic guns, very quickly. They should do that everywhere.

We all gathered for a last evening dinner together. It was an early evening for some poor souls that had to catch an Uber for the airport at 2:30 am

9838 steps

December 22/22…..Our flight wasn’t that early but the stress of making that final dash, I for one didn’t sleep that well…..coupled with whether or not my flight would even go because of the freezing snowy mess at the airport in Vancouver and Victoria. Jeanette’s family thought she should change flights and go direct to NY to be with family so we parted in Auckland airport. We had tried to meet a lovely lady that we met on a previous cruise who lives not too far from Christchurch earlier but our delay go see Mt Cook preempted that. So she was kind enough to meet us at the airport in the morning. Thank you Margaret.

By the way, we left Christchurch on the 22nd at 10 something am and were to arrive earlier than when we left on the same day….

I am now home in Victoria. Now I am able (got good wifi here) to finish sending this final blog of Australia and NZ. Until the next trip, I hope you all keep well and have a wonderful Christmas season.