NZ - the emerald isle?

I have finally added some watercolours from our trip late last year to South Island, New Zealand. I only did 4, because we were 'too busy'. In this post, they are interspersed with photos.

Akaroa (Aka Banks Penninsula) - view across the harbour from Onuku Bush Retreat

Akaroa is very picturesque, a large, sunken volcanic harbour, with panoramic views. I have already written about the mosaic garden, or Giant's House. Here are a few more photos:

this is the toilet floor!

Totally amazing stuff!! We also tried sea-kayaking in Akaroa Harbour, but had to stop due to bad weather.

Twizel - near Mt Cook

Twizel was our second stop after Akaroa, an area of stunning views of mountains and lakes including the strangely blue Lake Tekapo.

It was an action-packed two weeks, and after the wonderful Routeburn Track, and the adventure sports mecca Queenstown, we only stayed one night in each place, in our dash up the beautiful West Coast. This method of non-contemplative travel is not really recommended, and we were all feeling frazzled, and definitely over the car, by the last few days, but we did see lots, including (in order from South to North) Jackson's Bay; the Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers; Lake Matheson; the beautifully rugged coast between Greymouth and Westport; the Pancake Rocks at Punakaiki; and the Seal Colony at Westport, where my maternal great grandmother is buried, (not in the Seal Colony though); and we also took lots of photos.

We took the trans-alpine railway from Greymouth back to Christchurch, which was very obviously badly damaged, and looking like a war zone. I had different, happier memories of Christchurch from my first visit almost 35 years ago, seeing this city devastated was - devastating.

Fox Glacier

The West Coast is very lush, the weather was mainly wet and cold. It is all strikingly green.

Fox Glacier

This post seems quite disorganised and chaotic to me - perhaps I am trying to write about too much.
More later.