A quiet day in Queenstown. We drove into the city and went for a walk through the tourist area- had the essentials - Patagonia Chocolate's huge ice creams followed by Chinese dumplings by the water. Di did some window shopping then we saw a sports shoe shop and I bought a new pair of runners. First time in 6 years!
The drive from Fox Glacier to Queenstown took us down the west coast through beautiful temperate rain forest country up over the mountains via countless hair pin bends to beautiful Queenstown. Mind you Queenstown is overrun by tourist at this time of the year. We’re staying in an Airbnb well out of the busy part of town, with a stunning view over the Lake.
looking down to Queenstown 
We drove down the coast road t o Fox Glacier, stopping at Franz Josef Glacier on the way. You can’t drive up to the glacier but you can see it from about 2km away. Fox Glacier is even further away and when we got to the viewing point it was almost covered in cloud. The road down here passes through amazing scenery with the road snaking around the mountainside in tight bends.
Today we went to the local Anglican Church in the morning. Friday was Waitangi Day, commemorating the treaty between the Māori and the British, so the service was dedicated to the celebration of National Unity with much of the service led in Māori language. We sang the complete NZ National Anthem which is a throughly Christian song. The sermon reflected on the Christian foundation of the treaty as well as the failure to follow it completely on the part of the British. There was a lot of resonance with our own history.
After lunch we drove north to Punakaiki to visit the Pancake Rocks and Blowholes. Fascinating rock formations actions looking like pancake stacks.
After lunch we drove 30km into the hinterland to Hokitika Gorge and walked the 2km trail around the gorge edge. Glorious blue water but we weren't tempted to swim.
Greymouth was grey this morning, overcast with some light rain. We drove down to the beach which was covered in mostly grey rocks rounded by th pounding waves and littered with driftwood of various sizes,
Someone had built a house on the beach made from driftwood. Beautifully constructed, though not much shelter from the wind or rain. It was clearly a popular meeting place though, decked out with timber seating around a fireplace that appeared to have been used not long ago.
Looking east down the river.
We’re, off for four weeks travelling around New Zealand with our friends Greg and Sharon. After a delayed start in Melbourne we arrived in Christchurch and picked up our hire cars to drive west for an hour or so to Darfield, a small town not far from Christ church. The next day we crossed the mountain range via Arthur’s Pass, named after Arthur Dudley Dobson, the explorer who discovered it, arriving in Greymouth early afternoon,
