Due to my major flight stuff up I ended up spending an extra day in NZ and then flying through Melbourne. The ordeal cost me $1000 NZD. Quite reasonable you might not think.
I made use of the 15 hours I had in Melbourne and went and visited Karen in St Kilda. We spent the day lazing at the beach in the 36 degree heat.
Above: Lazing at St Kilda beach. The weather was forecast at a toasty 36 degrees.
Above: In St Kilda, Melbourne.
As I was supposed to be leaving tomorrow I had a bit of a catch up with some friends who weren’t already away on holiday somewhere. There were copious amounts of yummy sugary things.
Above left: A table full of sugary goodness. Above right: Hanging out with the kiwis.
Of course, seeing has I can’t read it wasn’t actually my last night and instead I spent another day in NZ, paying a mere $1000 for the privilege. Ughh.
Katie and I went through Cave Stream on our way back from Kennedy Lodge. A little mission through Cave Stream is always nice. It takes about 30 minutes to do.
Above left: The walk from the carpark down to the cave entrance takes about 5 minutes . Above right: Katie in Cave Stream.
Above left: Although a brighter light might be better it’s still enough to walk enter the cave with a little light like this one attached to my head. Above right: At the exit.
Above: There was a deep pool near the entrance to the cave.
I borrowed Gina’s mountain bike and headed off to Makara to try out the mountain biking there. I turns out there are a bunch of nice little trails around Makara peak. I rode up along little tracks surrounded by green ferns. At times the trails are completely surrounded in bush and at other times you get a view either out towards Northland (the suburb) and Wellington Harbour, or over to the South Island. I descended via the “North Face”, which is a nice flowing single track that starts at the top of Makara peak.
Above left: The single tracks at Makara wind their way through natives like this fern. At least the tracks that I tried did… Above right: Being a poser on Makara Peak.
Above: Descending from Makara Peak.
Above: Riding at Makara.
I caught up with Mark for a coffee in the afternoon before flying back to Christchurch in the evening.
I rode over to Happy Valley Road and met Sophie (Gina’s friend who we met in Golden Bay). We went for a walk along the Red Rocks track in the Southern Bays and up into the hills before dropping down and returning.
Above: Walking in the hills above the Southern Bays.
In the evening Gina and I gate crashed the Wellington orienteer’s potluck. We caught up with Tim, Penny, Jamie, and Alan Williams there.
Above: Potluck with the orienteers in Wellington.
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