An emotional 2 days just passed. Firstly saying goodbye to Queenstown which had started to feel like hone funnily enough even though I didn't feel a homely connection. This is the last time I will see Linda an Jess at least for a very long time. Then last night after our slightly longer than usual bus ride to Christchurch (slight engine malfunction after my spinach an cream cheese fritter at Cromwell half an hour in) nancy bid farewell as she flies to Melbourne! Bonne adeú!

Now I am at a lake on the west coast as I got the Tranzalpine towards grey mouth but got off at the second to last stop. It's pretty stunning as it's barely scratched by tourism. [I just realised the macerena was playing over my headphones and it was spoiling the ambience. I guess I can solve this with a cider and chips...]

Off the train I planked on a bridge, taunted a Weka bird and swung on a really tall rope swing which I almost broke as I it carried away. It's a lovely town.
Train ride rating comparison:
Vitetnam - 5/10
Transpennine - 7/10
Shinkansen - 7/10
NZ - 9/10 - the way back was better.
French Alps - 6/10
Norway - 9/10

Tomorrow I head to Kaikoura. I haven't spent much time in Chch but had enough time to appreciate the devastation, some people's houses taped off with serious danger warnings, but also the mega reconstruction effort and though I have only seen the place in dark rain so far it is pretty cool. Like a big version of a little southern town.