January 01, 2009
08 AM
Matt's first experience in New Zealand would hardly inspire repeat visits (**see footnote below). However, other veterans of that trip insisted that the 30-something experience there would definitely be more enjoyable. Vanessa was already convinced, and we booked in for a week around Queenstown with a trip up via Lake Tekapo to Christchurch.
We certainly were not disappointed. The scenery was abolutely stunning, giving South Africa and Switzerland a run for their money, if not taking the prize. Spectacular alpine mountain ranges, glacier fed lakes, lush green hills and brilliant wildflowers were literally at every turn. To make the most of the scenery we chartered a private flight in a four-seater over snow-capped ranges and Lake Wakatipu. Amelie was great (if not a little peturbed) with the experience.
We also did quite a bit of walking, eating (as you would expect) and wine tasting. But most of all, we lapped up the wide open spaces, beautiful vistas and simply being able to spend the whole day outside without wilting!
New Year's Eve was at Lake Tekapo, a brilliant turquoise lake with the Mount Cook National Park mountains in the distance. As our first 'family' New Year there were no massive and dangerous crowds (Berlin), no schnapps competition with the local 18-year olds (Bad Hofgastein), no naked swimming in the Andaman Sea (Langkawi), no spectacular fireworks (Sydney) and no historic chimes at midnight (London). However, it was - pure and simply - nice. We managed to get to 10:30pm before deciding that sleep was far more important than the milestone....how life changes!
Final stop was Christchurch where we lounged around (mainly in the botanical gardens) before heading back to Singapore.
Amelie absolutely loved the trip - she had both parents for two full weeks, had just started walking (or falling) and so had plenty of new things to explore and something new to do on every day. She fought sleep on the plane ("too much to see and people to wave at") and objected initially to driving ("this doesn't look like a taxi, why is there no one in the back with me and why are we still moving, it's been 10 minutes already?") - but was really an angel and has now graduated from her first year of travel and can move onto bigger and better.
Amelie's highlights of the trip appeared to be (in no particular order of preference): stairs, seatbelts, carpet, ducks and ducklings, aircraft lavatories and hotel toiletries.
** 14 years earlier......Matt's NZ Experience
A ski trip without snow, five boys (and 1 girlfriend) shared the tight confines of a campervan for the extended week driving across the South Island of New Zealand. While the thought of five males in a confined space for ten days would intimidate most, the situation deteriorated rapidly by the end of the first night as inebriated members of the group managed to throw up copiously on every towel provided with the ridiculously small shower cubicle in the van. The somewhat unpleasant odour of this situation was gradually replaced by the daily growing smell of unwashed bodies that were unable to use the shower cubicle provided because 1) it stored 6 soiled towels and 2) those towels were deemed necessary to take a shower.
After almost dying learning to ski on ice (without any instruction and accidentally straying onto a black run just before dusk), Matt determined to leave New Zealand and managed to crash the campervan not just once, but twice before it needed to be replaced (the meter wide hole was too significant to be patched for either driving or protection from the sub-zero temperatures). Convinced to stay, the trip did have its occasional high points: bungy jumping, jetboating, white water rafting, Milford Sound and the very rare day of skiing.
