Thursday 27th & Friday 28th January Doubtful Sound to Christchurch via Central Otago

We had a rude, early awakening this morning as the captain started the engines at 6.30 am.Ant and I went up on deck to grab some coffee and we were treated to a spectacular early morning display by the resident dolphins.As we headed back to Deep Cove and civilisation, we pulled into Hall Arm where the captain switched off all engines and electricity on the boat and we spent 5 minutes with just the sound of nature all around us - it was quite a spiritual moment!!!

Once we were back on dry land, we boarded our mini coach again and headed through the Otago region.Central Otago is New Zealand's most inland region located in the southern half of South Island.We stopped overnight at a place called The Royal Hotel in Naseby who's only redeeming feature was the free high speed internet access we had!!

The next morning we grabbed our mountain bikes and set off to cycle the Otago Central Rail Trail.Once the route of a bustling railway line, the Rail Trail is 150km gravel path between Middlemarch and Clyde.

It takes 3 - 5 days to complete the whole track but we cycled just 32km of its gentle 1:50 gradient across wooden trestle bridges and viaducts and through awesome gorge scenery and tunnels.It took us roughly 2 hours (with just 2 short stops for water and toilets) to get to the end point at Hyde where we had a well deserved cappuccino and waited for the others. I was quite pleased not to be last!! Out of the 15 of us that started I was about 9th!!

Back on the bus we expressed our way along the Canterbury plains to Christchurch which was our home for the night and also the last night we would all be together.Wozza dropped people off at various different accommodations (only he 6 of us going back to North Island will be staying together) and we arranged to meet later on that evening for a farewell meal.

After a meal at a local Mexican restaurant, we said goodbye to Erik and Alysse, Anna, Svenga & Katga.Marco, Morten, Maria and Sophie are travelling back to Auckland with Ant and I - we had already said goodbye to the others earlier that day.It was a fun but sad time as we have been together for 3 weeks and had some good times