Having missed the view of Aoraki-- otherwise known as Mt. Cook and known even more famously to my fellow geeks around the world as the Misty Mountain of Middle Earth-- on the way to Franz Josef, I was fortunate enough to see it from the other side of Lake Pukaki.
Further along the water, the peaks turned a dusky red beneath an early moon.
As I came closer to Fairlie, the landscape changed again, as it so often does in NZ, suddenly transforming into a near-Tuscan tapestry of rolling hills and cypress trees dotted, of course, with sheep.
And somehow I managed to snap this Van Gogh-like shot. I have no idea what effect was on. Complete accident, but I adore the result.
Just before I arrived at my host's house, the sun set in spectacular fashion, closing out my last scenic NZ drive with style.
Hannah and Clement made for great hosts. I had expected a couch but was treated to a full guest room, a hot shower, and some homemade confections. We gabbed and watched "House" and "The Big C"-- strangely on the same network overseas before tucking in for the night.
The next morning, Clement left first thing, but Hannah and I lazed about a bit. She let me use her yoga mat, and once I felt good and limber, we drove around the corner to The Whisk and Page, the kind of charming, unpretentious coffee shop only to be found in truly small towns. The old-fashioned kitchen stood right behind the counter, and I could smell a batch of scones baking in the oven. I ordered a pair of them with jam and clotted cream, a cup of hot chocolate and a tea for Hannah. Hannah introduced me to Anna, the proprietor and sole member of staff, who sweetly plied me with questions about my travels.
We sat for over an hour discussing all manner of topics and greatly enjoying the fare. I loved the scones so much that I ordered a second serving, and when I told Anna that they were the best I'd ever had, she asked me to stand up and repeat the praise for the benefit of the other customers, which I did with pleasure. Before I left, Anna had me sign the guestbook and asked me to make it interesting. "I always ask people to write a poem or something, but hardly anyone makes it interesting." I obliged with the following:
"My thanks to the "Whisk and Page"
For the best scones I've had in an age.
And, for wherever I roam,
A home away from my home
And a bright spot upon the world's stage."
I know, I know. Cheesy and trite, but I only had two minutes, people. And it made her glowingly happy, which was the point.
After that, I dropped Hannah back at her house with my thanks and a goody bag of supplies I didn't need on the next leg of my trip. I then set off for Christchurch. The drive struck me as the least beautiful of those I had made in New Zealand, and I couldn't get near the center of town to see the sights because aftershocks from the quake were still causing problems, a full year later But no matter. I stopped at a gas station to give the car a quick once over before returning it, and the woman using the vacuum before me adorably jumped in her car as she finished, calling, "Come on, honey! Pull on up! There's still 3 minutes on there that I already paid for." And hey, she saved me 50 cents. I arrived at the rental car agency before closing, bid farewell to clunky ol' Irwin the car, and got them to ride me to the airport. .
The airport still hadn't recovered from the quake either, and whole wings remained closed for renovations. I mailed some postcards and a package, ate the hodge-podge meal I had made with the last of my food stuffs, and settled in to a distinctly uncomfortable chair to wait until my crack-of-dawn flight the next day.
Unfortunately, at 11pm, a security guard came and moved all those of us attempting to sleep to a small area right by one of the exits. The automatic sliding doors opened and closed constantly letting in the cold air. The temperature had seriously dropped, and I found myself shivering. I approached one of the guards, explained that I had been sick for almost a week and really couldn't afford to get worse, and she kindly allowed me to set up on the floor of another area away from the doors.
At 4am, my alarm went off, I gathered my things, and headed for the international departures wing, which was just opening for the day. The rest of the morning is a blur, but I know that I arrived in Sydney at the scheduled time later that morning, so all went well.
Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Location:Christchurch, New Zealand
No comments:
Post a Comment