Today we got up in the morning and got our bags together to leave Wanaka. We had a long day ahead of us driving, but thankfully, the weather was incredble! Blue skies, and sun stayed with us the entire drive through the South Island back up to Christchurch. We saw the impressive Mt. Cook and stopped to take some pictures. The water canals surrounding this area is what New Zealand uses to power all of it’s electricity–hydroelectric power. The water is so blue from all the minerals from the soil and such. It really was incredible to see. We stopped for lunch in a very small town quickly, and then got back on the road–I drove part of the way as well. We finally arrived in Christchurch around 3:30pm and I figured I should eat before I get on the flight. So, we went to a cafe and had our last supper together in New Zealand. Tom then drove me to the airport and we said see ya–as he’ll be back in Sydney in just over a week.
The flight was on Emirates, an airline (world class) from UAE. It was the BEST flight I’ve ever had. So comfortable, the lighting was amazing–pink/flesh coloured above with stars, and blue colour fading down the windows. The seats were paisley pastels and the pitch of the seat allowed for a nice recline that also moved the bottom of the seat for a more comfortable position. Then, the entertainment was 500+ channels of movies, shows, and information. The coolest thing though, was the onboard cameras that you could view through your screen. There was one on the bottom of the plane so you could see below, and one at the front of the plane, so you could see from the cockpit. Coming in for a landing in Sydney was so incredible to actually see the runway in front of you and how the plane is maneuvered. So clever!
I had a fantastic time on my journeys in New Zealand, and sincerely thank Tom and his family for being so welcoming and all the friends that we met along the way! I hope to see you again someday, and Happy New Year’s!