Big Trip

It was our last day with our now beloved camper van today. We packed up all our bags and drove sadly back to Christchurch. It even rained on the way, just to add to the pathos of the occasion. On the way back to the depot, we popped into the International Antarctic Centre. Christchurch is the central base for supplying many, if not all the antarctic research stations, so there's a huge operation there, with lots of very large, very noisy cargo planes coming & going. The centre has loads of great things for kids (young & old) to see & do to learn about Antarctica and its wildlife. They have a room in which they recreate an antarctic storm. We didn't have time to go in, unfortunately, but it looked pretty nasty from the outside, watching through the glass. I don't think it's as cold as the real thing, as there were people in there with shorts on, but it was very noisy, and they do make you wear windproof jackets and overshoes to protect the very real snow that they have. Brrr...
The highlight was a ride in a Hagglund, which is a caterpillar tractor and trailer as used in the Antarctic for transport. It was hilarious, all being thrown around as they took us round a short off-road course, including ridiculous gradients up & down, a simulated crevasse and a 3 metre deep puddle (fortunately the Hagglund floats). Very versatile vehicles, but then they do cost half a million dollars...
Then we just had to drop off the van and say goodbye to it. None of us really wanted to - we'd all become very attached to it and the associated way of life. It was especially nice being able to stop wherever we felt like it and have lunch, or a cup of tea, and it was nice to live mainly out of doors. Definitely the way to see South Island, I reckon.
Finally, we got a shuttle to New Brighton, and the house where are staying over Christmas. Huge thanks are due to Reg & Barbara, who have loaned their house to a bunch of people with whom they have only a very brief acquaintance. Sarah's Aunt Pauline treated us to another of her most wonderful home cooked dinners: shepherd's pie this time. Fantastic.