Day 31, Saturday 23rd January 2016, and time to make our way back to Christchurch to fly home tomorrow. First we drove for a couple of hours up the west coast to Greymouth and the train station. We had been warned of rain storms on the west coast, but it was nothing in the end. The Trans Alpine Scenic train takes five hours to cross the south island, and has a special viewing carriage and a commentary as you pass through areas of interest. We were told later that this trip is better in winter when everything is covered in snow.
Clearly, it is very hard making a living around here.
I’m not really sure of the relevance of this photo, but the sight was such a shock as we slowed down.
We stopped at Arthur’s Pass, the highest settlement in the south island, to pick up passengers, so time to get off for a few minutes.
We travelled through many tunnels and heard of the struggles and bankruptcies associated with their building, all to move coal from the coalfields of the west to the ports on the east side of New Zealand. After travelling through the ‘Alps’, you then reach the calmer Canterbury Plains before descending into Christchurch.
And, finally, a photo of some beehives!
Now it was time to pack up ourselves and our little Kiwi, and leave this wonderful country. We had spent a month in New Zealand, and that was definitely not long enough ……………
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