New Zealand

Kia Ora (Maori greeting)

Just a quick message to update you. Since Mount Cook we have driven a few (hundred) kilometres, and are now in Queenstown, adrenaline capital of the world, where everyone is either jumping out of a plane with a parachute, swimming or boating down rapids, abseiling down rockfaces or practising some kind of mad sport. Pete is off doing his bungee jump so I am spending the afternoon in front of a computer (far less exhilarating, but much more comfortable!)
Since last time we have encountered a few specimens of local wildlife on the East coast of the island : yellow eyed penguins (very rare) in Oamaru, new zealand fur seals a little fruther down, and Hooker's sea lions in cannibal Bay, in the Catlins National park. All you have to do is try a few beaches in the hope of meeting someone. The sea lions were having a nap on the beach, and we even witnessed two youngs play-fighting from a few metres away.
Then we drove to Te Anau, further West, from where we explored the Milford Sound, where the sea finds its way inland between spectacular snow capped peaks. It was pouring with rain and the whole landscape was covered in clouds (and so were we at times : we couldn't see a thing!), but just as we reached the Sound, a few rays of sunshine appeared and we got some pretty amazing black and white views before turning back. we stopped on the way and were greeted by a Kea, a green and orange alpine parrot : it jumped on the bonnet, tried to get in through the window, sat on the wing mirror before having a tour of the roof, making lots of scratching moises with its claws!
It is nice and cold now, and the rains seems to be there to stay (which will put a smile on those people's faces who think we are a bit too lucky!)
We are continuing our explorations of amazing new Zealand, which is like a live three dimensional geology lesson : everywhere the movements of the earth are obvious, with so many escarpments, glaciers, mountains and volcanoes that look like they came out of the ground yesterday. the air is a bit crisper than anywhere else, the sun a little bit brighter, and nature seems a little bit wilder too : palm trees in the snow, and rainforests at the foot of glaciers.
See you later!