I had another adventurous and exciting day in the other land Down Under. It was my 11th day in this land of paradise. We were leaving Christchurch today. I woke up early and had breakfast as usual. I had roasted tomato, hash browns, sausage, and cereal. I’ve made sure to eat plenty for breakfast everyday. We finished packing. Today was our trip to Fox Glacier; one place I came here to see! We loaded up and were on our way. The first stop on our day list was downtown Christchurch for shopping. I was there yesterday. While there, I got some new key chains and a t-shirt with a map of New Zealand on the front. I’ve noticed that New Zealand is kind of shaped like a funny-shaped boomerang that I saw in Australia, only it’s broken in two pieces. I also got a picture of the cathedral in Cathedral Square. We spent an hour in Christchurch and I stopped and checked my email before we continued on. Mike stopped at his mom’s house for a moment. I’m going to go visit my Mom very soon. Mike also lives here in Christchurch. As were driving west across the Canterbury Plain toward the Southern Alps, I started to see glaciers. I was so excited! We stopped at the majestic Arthur’s Pass for lunch. I got a croissant and a soda. We had a half hour to burn and it was cool out, so I just hung out and admired the scenery. Arthur’s Pass was beautiful. Then, we were on our way to Hokitika, the so called “jade capital” of New Zealand. I love Jade very much! That’s cool that my favourite girl is also the name of my favourite stone. About 45 minutes after leaving Arthur’s Pass, I saw the Tasman Sea. We successfully crossed the South Island. I’ve now been to the east and west coasts of both of New Zealand’s islands. On the way to Hokitika I signed up for skydiving. I saw that everyone else is doing it, so I’m going to as well! I’m nervous, but I have such a huge heart that I’m willing to try it. I can back out of it, but I’m not going to! I’m also doing a bungee jump off the Kawarau Bridge. Don’t I have a huge heart! I’m going to have a lot of “air time” by the time I leave. On the west coast of the South Island, rain is measured in meters instead of centimetres because they get so much. We were lucky to have a sunny day in Hokitika. At about 3 PM, we arrived in Hokitika. We visited the Jade Factory in Hokitika. I saw some very magnificent pieces, including a carved Maori sword. I didn’t have the kind of money for that, but I did get a little jade frog and some jade pieces. Altogether, that cost $37.50, but my favorite girl Jade is worth so much more! I simply love her! I also got a hand-painted rock when I was there. I learned when I was there that it is bad luck to buy your own jade, because Jacki gave me the cash and made me buy hers. So, that makes me nervous about skydiving. After about 45 minutes at the Jade Factory, it was time to go. I got a Red Bull for energy before leaving. We were driving back inland and the scenery was amazing! I started seeing waterfalls; I’ve never been so many! There are physical features in this country that you won’t find anywhere else. I also saw Fox Glacier on our way up. What a beautiful sight it was! At about 6:30, we arrived at Fox Glacier. I noticed immediately that it was colder with an alpine climate. The vegetation was also different. It was also raining out. I’m supposed to go heli-hiking on the glacier tomorrow, but Mike said it won’t happen if it is too cloudy. If that were to happen, I can do the glacier hike and save a lot of money. Upon getting there, we checked into our rooms. The lodge was like the cabins we used to have at Jay Nolan Camp. I miss those days. I tried to call my dad, but he didn’t answer, so I left a message. I stopped at this little store across the street and got some chips and a Red Bull. Dinner was slated for 7:30. Beforehand, Mike and Phil decided to take some of us on an excursion to Lake Matheson. So, we drove down there. I got a picture-perfect shot of Fox Glacier. It was so beautiful. We all walked down the trail for about 15 minutes until we reached the lake. It was so clear and so still; I got some symmetrical pictures. I’ve already taken about 500 pictures and I still have another six days to go on my Aotearoa journey. We spent a few minutes at the lake and took pictures before we started heading back up. I sang some Aussie folk stuff while walking with Jacki. When we went back to the coach, Phil wasn’t there. We waited and waited until Mary and I decided to start walking. I got a picture of some cows along the way. Nothing really special, eh! Phil finally showed up and I got picked up about a ½ mile down the road. It really started pouring down rain. When we got back, we had dinner. I had fish pieces, carrots, and salad. They had soup, but we couldn’t have any for some reason. Tonight was karaoke night at the lodge pub. So, I went down and hung out. I tried my luck at the slot machines, got a beer and a few diet cokes and did some postcards. I didn’t sing because I’m a bad singer. I met this beautiful girl named Lisa and I hung out with her. I went back to my room at 1 AM. Jacki couldn’t find her room, so I knocked loudly on two doors for her. I drank way too much caffeine today. I realized I had forgotten my hat. I went barefoot back to the pub and got it. Then, I showered. It’s 2 AM now, and I have to get up very early to see the glaciers tomorrow, so I’m hitting the sack. Good Night.
