Day 18

Feb 12, Tuesday

This morning packing was the first time I've had to unzip the expansion on my suitcase due to shopping. Breakfast of toast, and then since we had some time to kill waiting for Andrea, Ronnie, and Norrie to come back from their flight and cruise to Milford Sound, Susan and I went back to Lick for second breakfast. I had a gelato toastie, which is a sweet brioche filled with a scoop of gelato (I had coconut marshmallow) and poached fruit and then toasted until the outside is hot and the inside is still frozen. Yummy. I shall be going on a diet when I get home because the food here is so delicious I cannot resist anything. Susan had a espresso with two scoops of gelato in it. Then into the van for the trip to Lake Tekapo.

Our first stop was at a farm stand (Sarita Orchards) for people to stock up on fruit and sweets. Andrea bought and shared dried kiwifruit, which is odd and candy-like. We then stopped in Cromwell for lunch (for some) and window shopping (for others). Back on the road again until our next stop, which was a Salmon farm. - we all had fun throwing the feed into the pool at the same time and causing a frenzy of salmon. Then Steve-o bought a box of sashimi to share. It was really good but not exactly what I was used to. The fish was firmer (a bit chewy) and tasted a bit of ocean. Very good, though. Susan bought a box for dinner ($20). One more stop, this time at Lake Pukaki, which is a brilliant blue. We got a group shot and were on our way again.

Lake Tekapo is tiny - Franz Josef was two streets big, and Lake Tekapo is one very small street. It's pretty much a rest stop on the way to Christchurch. I made some instant noodles (spicy thai coconut chicken flavour) and we all gathered around to watch DVDs of the various events people have done during the trip. Then off to bed in our primary colored bunk-bed dorms. It's like being in kindergarden.