So we've returned The  Goat to the Jucy Van base to be prepared for someone else's big adventure.  Last night and tonight we have a real bed in the Country Glen Lodge Motel.  When we booked our room there wasn't much accomodation left in Christchurch hotels and now we know why.  Today is the opening ceremony for the ICC world cup!  Before we get to the ceremony we must tell you about Christchurch. Mike visited and stayed in the Youth Hostel in town when he ...

Lake Tekapo is our final stop in The Goat. What a trip we've had. Mike reckons we have done around 2,500 kilometres in our green and purple van over the last three weeks. So what to do while at this dinky little resort. Take a helicopter ride over the southern alps of course! Our 9 am flight took us to Mt Cook, New Zealands highest peak,over 12,000 ft, and then we landed on an ice dome over 7,000 ft. The helicopter only held five including the pilot so it was ...

We said goodbye to the very southern tip of New Zealand and headed back towards the mountains and sheep country. We've crossed a lot of miles over the last two days and seen big views, big skies and big fruit! Here is our list of highlights from Tuarapere to Lake Takapo. No 1 McKenzies look out. Fab views out to Antarctica and the Hump Ridge. NO 2 Lake Wakatipu, 100 kilometres of lake a fantastic setting for Queenstown No 3 Arrowtown. A virtual world of to...

The Hump Ridge Track will be one of the highlights of our trip for more reasons than we expected. Day One Blue cliffs bay to Okaka lodge We set off fully clad in water proofs as the rainy weather continued but thankfully the gusty wind had reduced. The trail followed the coastline for the first10 kilometres passing through forest and for part of the way along the beach. We turned inland and graduaaly the path took us up towards Hump Ridge. The trees of the f...

The Hump Ridge Track will be one of the highlights of our trip for more reasons than we expected. Day One Blue cliffs bay to Okaka lodge We set off fully clad in water proofs as the rainy weather continued but thankfully the gusty wind had reduced. The trail followed the coastline for the first10 kilometres passing through forest and for part of the way along the beach. We turned inland and graduaaly the path took us up towards Hump Ridge. The trees of the f...