Wow, I just missed Qantas grounding all aircraft! Hope they get something sorted out by 24 Nov.

Country #4 - Australia. I wonder what happens next?

Back in Christchurch. Transalpine railway tomorrow. Now a cup of tea and a biscuit.

I've now reached Dunedin, and have sometime to catch my breath and gather my wits. Last Wednesday, based on the weather forecast, I decided to stick to the West Coast. This turned out to be a good choice in that Christchurch (on the East Coast) subsequently suffered flooding from the heavy rains! On the West Coast,the first stop was Fox Glacier. I arrived late afternoon, so booked myself a days hike for Thursday, and used the rest of the day to do a stroll ...

New Zealand just had a 9.0 earthquake - from very happy Kiwis cheering!