We headed out of Queenstown, through the Lindis Pass, known to locals as ‘Lord of the Rings’ territory. This long haul travel day had a few nice stops including the amazing aqua blue Lake Pukaki, with a stunning view of Mt Cook. We arrived back in Christchurch in the late afternoon where I met up with Chantal again for two days rest before heading to the North Island segment of my trip.
Chantal took me on a short road trip to the Waipara Wine Region about an hours drive outside of the city. It was a day full of drizzle and we hopped over to a few wineries to sample their best vintages. I most enjoyed the Pegasus Winery as the woman there was a jolly German, passionate about wine and even grabbed a few Noble Rot Riesling grapes so we could check out their grape harvest. At one of the wineries we enjoyed a nice soup and sandwich lunch as the rain drizzled outside. In the evening we had our final dinner at Chantal’s favorite sushi restaurant in town.
The following morning I was off to the airport and flying north to the capital. Ever so excited to meet up with my two Kiwi friends who I met in Borneo and Laos. Hooray to reunions!
