Bev's Bus Trip
South Island 2002

Left Auckland in "La Bus" (yet to be named) with our friends Jenny and Kerry in (Gin Runner) their bus on March 17th first stop Rangitakei River camped riverside by the white cliffs in a DOC camp, checked out a country fair in Martin on the Sunday stocked up with fruit, sweet corn and apple cider, watched a performance of Morris dancers and continued on to Wellington where we slept the night on the Lynx wharf, a very windy night but nothing that a few gins wouldn't fix.

Good crossing arrived in Picton and drove on to Blenheim did the supermarket then on to Lake Rotoroa in the Nelson Lake area another DOC camp for the night the guys fished but no luck. Next day travelled on to Westport and then down the West Coast stopped at the Punakaiki rocks, lunched and shopped in Greymouth then spend the night in Lake Brunner with the friendly weka's. We spent the next few days on the West Coast and will spend a lot more time there next time, but we moved on to Queenstown because of our booking to walk the Routeburn, the guys arranged a helicopter drop into the Hollyford Valley area where they spent time fishing and hunting and rubber boating down the Hollyford River, while Jen and I enjoyed the Routeburn Track we had wonderful weather and the most amazing scenery, good food and walked with a great group of people.

Next stop Wanaka where we spent the weekend at the War Birds over Wanaka, then on to Oamaru over the Lindis Pass and on to Danseys Pass the fisherman tried their skills again and panned for gold, better luck with the fish we enjoyed a freshly caught and smoked trout for tea that night. Next day travelled over the pass driving through the snow very tense %x#*!! trip then on to Naseby but once again nothing that a few gins couldn't fix.

We travelled on up the island, to Methven, Lake Coleridge the Canterbury Plains and on to Hammer Springs the pools were wonderful so warm and relaxing, spent the morning having a shopette and spendette then on to Kaikoura saw the results of the high tides and wind and waves seaweed all over the road even up to the railway tracks the seals sure had a hard time of it, we then headed up to Havelock next day our last day once again the fishermen headed off so we had another shopette but only found the home bakery and spied some swimmers way off track, Mary-Ann, Aldo, Neale and Lynn went driving by but I tracked them down at the Marina, they were on their way home from the World Masters, gave them a surprise a nice one I hope, we had coffee together then went our different ways the Corbett's back to Picton and the ferry queue where we had a delay never mind nothing that a few gins and oysters wouldn't fix. Another night of howling wind alongside the trucks and trains wharf side and then home via Taupo.

Back to work.#$$%*&^!!

Facts: Travelled 5400 kms, accommodation costs $2000.00, Gin consumed - still counting, going back next year.

Ps
Need names for "La Bus".