Road Trip: Driving Home

We awoke with a dilemma; should we continue with our original ten-night plan or do the drive back to Christchurch all in one go and give ourselves another day in Canterbury. We had initially intended to spend our last evening in a campsite around Lake Tekapo, but after further discussion, we wondered whether there could be a better use of our time as there are so many things to do and see in and around Christchurch and I really wanted Bren to go home with a good feel for what the city and surroundings have to offer.

Decisions are often easier to make when food and drink are present, so after showering and feeding the amassing finches we drove into Wanaka for morning tea and cake. We decided in the end that it would be wisest to drive home early.

We stopped in Tekapo on the way back to have a late lunch in one of my favourite eateries, Run 77. I opted for the scrumptious chilli con carne and was full to bursting by the end of it. After a quick visit to the 'Historic Church' and the McKenzie country sheepdog monument by the lake, we were on the road home.

At our last fuel stop, we totted up our count on the tally of road kill we'd been keeping for the last 10 days (don't ask, it's kind of a habit). Four hundred and twenty five unfortunate victims of the road this time! 

So folks, you've heard pretty much all now. When we arrived home, we made a day trip to Akaroa to see the dolphins again, spent a day driving around the Port Hills dropping in at Diamond Harbour, Lyttelton and Sumner and had a leisurely day around the Gardens and Canterbury Museum. Saying goodbye to Bren at the airport was probably one of the hardest things I've ever had to do, but I've been left with some wonderful memories of spending time with family in our new home. I now fully appreciate life here and feel more and more at home with each passing week.