Returning home - day 11 - Back to Auckland

We woke to the realisation that we were going home today. Jane didn't have the best sleep last night, but we figured that it would be sensible to grab a cup of coffee before making further decisions. Seeing as it was the last day, we invited Jonty along and he came and got a hot chocolate. 
Back at camp, we gathered together the last of the food and carried it to the dining room to be eaten for breakfast. We had some very strange combinations, including cereals and greek yoghurt and corn on the cob, but in the end most of us were adequately filled and ready for our journey to Christchurch. 
Packing took a little time, as we were down one suitcase from our flight south. Everything ended up packed appropriately and packed as tetris in the boot of the car. 
It felt good to get on the road again, and we drove straight towards Tekapo, so that Eliza could experience some of the joy of this beautifully picturesque area. It is an incredibly stunning drive with the vivid blues and teals of the sky and water contrasting against the golden browns and fresh greens of the pastures, and the cool whites and blues of the background Southern Alps. 


View of Aoraki from the road

It didn't take long to get to Tekapo, but everyone was ready for a break. Jane wanted some time to herself, so the kids and I walked to the Church of the Good Shepherd. Despite the density of tourists at the site, we took the opportunity to go inside and sit in silent prayer for several minutes. It took us away from the hustle and bustle and helped me to refocus. 
The irony of the busyness of the most picturesque chapel in NZ


We then went to do the Cowen's Hill walk and saw the best sights of Lake Tekapo. The combination of pastures, forestry, lupins, lake and mountains was truly beautiful and great for photos. 









Our next stop was Fairlie, where Eliza and I bought a delicious pie for lunch containing pork belly and apple sauce. The rest ate corn thins with salami and a Mediterranean dip. We had a lovely chat with some Californian tourists - inspired by one of my t-shirts, then went and got real fruit ice cream as a family. 

From there, we drove quickly through Geraldine and into Ashburton for a brief bathroom break. The roads got decidedly busier and so it became necessary to wait for passing lanes until overtaking. It got frustrating when slower cars would accelerate on the wider passing lanes, but we still made good time coming into Christchurch without incident. 
I had contacted Jeremy (my work colleague) earlier in the day, so we drove to his house, arriving shortly after 5pm. It was lovely meeting his wife, Ying, and being greeted at the door by his gorgeous husky, seeing his home, and his two chinchillas. The boys were also impressed by the various Lego collections. (Thank you Jeremy for your amazing openness and hospitality - and we mostly kept our conversation work-free too). 
After our brief stay, we went straight to Christchurch Airport, dropped off our trusty Mitsubishi ASX rental, and over a beer I took the opportunity to write this blog. We can hardly believe that our holiday is now over.

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