​So off we are for an epic road tip that will take us up to the tip of the South Island, and then top to bottom, the whole of the North Island. Starting in Wellington, our journey encompasses a visit with friends in Cambridge, Christmas in Whitianga with our Kiwi family, up to the northern most point in Cape Reinga, and then back down the Eastern Cape. Once complete, I will be able to confidently say we have SEEN, New Zealand. Hopefully, keeping up with this blog along the way J
So our drive to Blenheim features one that I will never tire of, and in all the driving I have done in Europe and North America, Australia and Northern Africa, there is still very few places that rival the seaside roadway past Kaikoura on the South Island’s East Coast. The coast zigs in and out along the Pacific Ocean coast, with the Kaikoura mountain ranges bracketing the west side of the road. Clear skies goad us onward, and the charming crayfish kiosks that dot the roadside are a true Kiwi classic that must be sampled. Having driven this road many times before, we were not on a sightseeing trip, and were instead able to enjoy the views as they unfolded. Still we found ourselves trying to spot the hundreds of fur seals that line the coast here.

Rent in Christchurch is outrageous since the 2011 earthquakes, a house like ours is renting for about $600 per week. We opted to take on some tenants for the short term to ease the cost of living so that we could actually afford to do some travelling, which is what we came here to do in the first place. Our first few months had been the fairly routine Monday-Friday grind that we had left in Canada, we needed to change something. Our alternative was to break our lease, which was not up for another nine months, and find a smaller, cheaper residence. So in this way, Janek, Erica and Sylvain entered our lives. Janek, was from Ireland and presently dealing with his own immigration issues trying to get into Australia to be with his girlfriend, and Sylvain and Erica were from France, eventually going the opposite direction to us by seeking residency in Canada, having just moved from there to travel not too long ago. The idea of Sylvain and Erica moving in to save us money, never did come to fruition. We ended up buying their van, some hiking gear and a tripod. What we lost in the desired income, we gained in great company, camera skills, and fond memories.